If you consult a science textbook, you will generally read that the internal structure of our planet is divided into three main layers: the crust, the mantle and the core (inner and outer). Without being inaccurate, this simplified representation masks a much greater complexity. Indeed, scientists have recently demonstrated that the inner core could itself be composed of two distinct layers, opening the way to new discoveries.
Better understand how the Earth works
Our knowledge of the composition of the Earth is mainly based on two sources: the study of volcanoes and, above all, indirect observation thanks to seismology. The latter allows us to understand how seismic waves move through the Earth. Precisely, this team of scientists has developed an algorithm that is capable of combining thousands of models of the inner core with data collected over several decades concerning the transit time of seismic waves through the Earth.
Joanne Stephenson, geophysicist at the Australian National University, emphasizes having “found evidence suggesting a change in the structure of iron, which could indicate two distinct cooling events in Earth’s history. […] The details of this major event still remain mysterious, but we have added a new piece to the puzzle of our understanding of the Earth’s inner core.»
These results could thus shed light on certain inconsistencies between experimental data and our current models of the Earth’s structure, as reported by Science Alert. In other words, they would help us better understand what is under our feet, which could prove to be of great use, especially when it comes to an entire structure.
