New research from China shows that the Earth is not a stable sphere but has a distorted inner core that continuously wobbles .
According to Science Alert, work based on strange variations in measurements from Earth’s surface has revealed puzzling, periodic fluctuations deep within the planet.
Since then, a team led by two geologists Yachong An and Hao Ding from Wuhan University (China) has determined that the Earth’s inner core is actually not at rest but oscillates with a period of 8. 5 years.
The “heart” of the Earth has just revealed a mysterious wobble with a cycle of 8.5 years – (Illustration).
This also revealed that the planet’s inner core is not a round metal sphere . It is denser in the Northwest Hemisphere , a strange phenomenon that has been suggested by seismic data.
The tilt of this core relative to the mantle – that is, the difference in rotation between this core and the mantle – is only 0.17 degrees, much smaller than the previous estimate of 10 degrees, which could bring about changes important for geodynamic studies.
The inner core is considered the “heart” of the planet. Slightly larger than Pluto, it can influence many of Earth’s cycles, including providing heat to warm the world from the inside.
In particular, the difference in rotation axis compared to the mantle is the cause of the 8.5-year “wobble” cycle, which can explain previous findings showing that the Earth’s two magnetic poles seem to like “running around” in a range rather than standing still.
The characteristics of the inner core can also impact the molten outer core, which in turn affects Earth’s magnetosphere.
However, according to research just published in the scientific journal Nature Communications , it is possible that the inner core and its abnormalities also affect our planet in many other ways.
Discovering this mysterious oscillation cycle is just the premise for research to fully explain the impact of this hidden activity on the outside world in which we live.
