Science News Desk – Many mysteries of the Earth’s internal structure remain unresolved. Nevertheless, the indirect information in the studies done so far is very telling and they are being studied even more deeply because this information is expected to solve many mysteries, the most important of which is the history of the Earth itself. History of the Earth). And with this many other mysteries of the present and life of the earth are connected. Many researches are showing that the structure of the inner core of the Earth may be somewhat complex and there may be some more layers in it.
four main layers
Till now only four layers of the earth are known which are taught in text books. The topmost layer is the Earth’s crust, below that is the mantle, then the outer core, and finally the inner core. Scientists have got this information from seismic waves and some volcanoes, but in these seismic waves are important.
earth’s inner core
Based on the study of seismic waves, scientists have found that the hot inner core has a temperature of more than 5 thousand degrees Celsius and its volume is only one percent of the Earth’s volume. A few years ago, scientists began to find indications that the Earth’s inner core may actually consist of two distinct layers.
lots of simulations and models
The researchers used several algorithms and matched thousands of patterns of the inner core with decades of data collected by the International Seismological Center from observations of seismic waves traveling through Earth. They tried to find out from which phase or structure the results obtained coincide with the data.
study with anisotropy
The researchers studied the anisotropy of Earth’s inner core in some models. Anisotropy attempts to learn how changes in the material of a layer alter the characteristics of seismic waves. While some models suggest that certain chemical substances in the inner core accelerate seismic waves parallel to the equator, others indicate that a mixture of materials accelerates waves parallel to Earth’s axis.
difference in the structure of the inner core
The study did not address whether the depth of the inner core made a difference, but they found that the waves were slower up to an angle of 54 degrees and then accelerated as they moved parallel to the axis. This suggests that the composition of iron is changing, indicating two distinct cooling events in Earth’s history.
towards solution
Researchers say much of the phenomenon remains a mystery, but insist they have added a new piece of the puzzle leading to a solution. Also, the new information may explain why some of the experimental evidence is inconsistent with models of Earth’s composition.