Inner Core of Earth Oscillates: A Contradiction to Previous Models Assuming This Planet Rotates at Faster Rate Than Its Surface

Scientists at the University of Southern California have offered evidence that the inner core of Earth is oscillating, a press release issued by the institution announced later late this week.

As specified in an Interesting Engineering report, the finding opposes previous models that assumed that the Earth is consistently rotating at a faster rate than the planet's surface.

It may help explain the variation in the length of one day, which has been shown to oscillate for the past several decades.

According to the study's co-author John Vidale, who's also Dean's Professor of Earth Sciences at USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Science, from their findings, they can "see the Earth's surface shifts," compared to its inner core, as humans have claimed for two decades.

Nonetheless, the researchers' most recent observations show that the inner core spun a little slower from 1969 to 1971 and then moved in the opposite direction from 1971 to 1974, as specified in a similar Phys.org.

Contradicting Previous Models

The study authors also noted that the length of the day grew and shrank as would be forecasted. More so, the coincidence of such observation makes oscillation the likely interpretation.

Moreover, the study authors utilized data from LASA or the Large Aperture Seismic Array, a United States Force Facility in Montana, to suggest that the Earth's inner core rotated slower than previously predicted, around 0.1 degrees each year-different from what scientists were expecting to find.

Vidale explained that the notion that the inner core is oscillating was a model out there, although the community has been split on whether it was feasible.

He added that they went into this expecting to observe the same rotating direction and rate in the previous pair of atomic tests, although instead, they saw the opposite. Vidale continued, and they were quite surprised to discover that it was moving in the opposite direction.

Now, the research team needs to find scientifically accurate observations to compare against their present findings so they can continue future research. They're hoping to do that through seismological data from atomic tests used in past studies.

Oscillating Inner Core

Current data, though, the study published in Science Advances specified, does not support the speculation that the inner core of Earth is oscillating based on variations in the length of the day, plus or minus 0.2 seconds for six years, as well as geomagnetic fields.

Vidale explained that the inner course is not fixed. "It is moving under our feet," he added and continued; it appears to "go back and forth" to a few kilometers every six years.

One of the questions the team attempted to answer is whether the inner core progressively moves or is mostly locked compared to everything else in the long run.

The study's co-author also explained that they are trying to understand how the inner core forms and moves over time. This is an essential step to achieving better insight into this process.

As there comes advancement in sensor technology, the intrepid research team may soon discover the mechanisms needed to prove their theory. This next step, said Vidale, would forever change how "we look at our planet's inner core."

Related information about the Earth's core is shown on The Secrets of the Universe's YouTube video:

Check out more news and information on Earth in Science Times.