According to a new study, the formation of new enigmatic layer – E prime layer – at the outermost part of Earth’s core is a result of “surface water penetrating deep into the planet,” altering the composition of the metallic liquid core’s outermost region.
Key findings
- The experiments revealed that when water reaches the core-mantle boundary, it reacts with silicon in the core, forming silica under high pressure.
- It suggests that tectonic plates carrying surface water have transported it deep into the Earth over billions of years.
- Upon reaching the core-mantle boundary about 1,800 miles below the surface, this water initiates significant chemical changes, influencing the core’s structure.
- This reaction leads to the formation of a hydrogen-rich, silicon-depleted layer at the outer core, resembling a film-like structure.
- Silica crystals generated by this process ascend and blend into the mantle, impacting the overall composition.
- These modifications in the liquid metallic layer could potentially result in reduced density and altered seismic characteristics, aligning with anomalies detected by seismologists.
Earth’s four primary layers
- Earth comprises four primary layers: an inner core at the planet’s center, surrounded by the outer core, mantle, and crust.
- The crust is the outside layer of the earth and is made of solid rock, mostly basalt and granite.
- The mantle lies below the crust and is up to 2900 km thick. It consists of hot, dense, iron and magnesium-rich solid rock. The crust and the upper part of the mantle make up the lithosphere.
- The core is the centre of the earth and is made up of two parts: the liquid outer core and solid inner core. The outer core is made of nickel, iron and molten rock. Temperatures here can reach up to 50,000 C.
