Latest research by scientists has revealed that the rotation speed of Earth’s core is slowing down dramatically and has even reversed.
Published in Nature, the research findings go against previous research indicating that the inner core rotates faster than the planet’s surface.
The slowing of the inner core is expected to have implications for the length of a day simply because the slower it moves, the bigger the drag factor on the speed at which Earth rotates.
Since one rotation of Earth takes 24 hours and signifies one day, a slowing inner core will mean it takes longer for Earth to complete a rotation.
Earth’s inner core
The Earth’s inner core was discovered by Danish seismologist Inge Lehmann in 1936. The innermost part of Earth is the core and is about 1500 miles (2414 km) thick.
Both the inner and outer cores consist primarily of iron and nickel. They’re extremely hot, with temperatures ranging from 7200–9000℉ (4000–5000℃).
The inner core is under intense pressure, which keeps it solid despite high temperatures.
The inner core is surrounded by an outer core of liquid iron-nickel outer core, which generates Earth’s magnetic field. Above that outer core is the rocky mantle and, finally, the crust.
