Earth’s Hidden Layer- Key Facts

Scientists have recently detected the signs of a hidden structure inside the core of Planet Earth. This sign has the potential to change the long-standing narrative of what lies at centre of Earth. This layer is being termed as the ‘fifth layer’.

Highlights

As per the long-standing narrative, there exists four layers namely; crust, mantle, outer core and inner core. The scientists have also spotted reportedly some changes in the structure of iron within the inner core. These changes suggests that a new ‘boundary line’ is stretching for about 650 kilometres from centre of the Earth.

About the fifth layer

The Daily Mail reports that, the researchers are getting the sign of fifth layer for more than a decade. However, the detection was proved near to impossible. The researchers are suspecting about the fifth after they studies the travel time data of the seismic waves which are travelling inside the Earth. The data was captured by the International Seismological Centre. Following the data, the scientists and researchers used their new algorithm in order to search and discover the evidence of changes in structure of inner core of the Earth. Though it is difficult to detect the minute changes, the researchers somehow demonstrate that two separate cooling events occurred in the history of the planet.

What does the study imply?

This research study also implies that in the earliest phase of the Earth’s evolution that is around 4.56 billion years ago, Earth underwent a dramatic and several unknown events. Though, these studies were indirect, the geologists determined that the Earth’s inner core reaches the temperatures of more than 5,000 degrees Celsius. This is also relatively smaller in area accounting only 1% of the total volume of Earth.

Month: Current Affairs - March, 2021