What is the Earth’s innermost inner core?
26-02-2023
1 min read
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Overview:
Seismologists at The Australian National University(ANU) recently documented the evidence of a distinct fifth layer of earth at the centremost part of Earth— the “innermost inner core”.
About Earth’s innermost inner core (IMIC):
- It is a 400-mile-wide (644-kilometer-wide) ball of metal.
- IMIC exists in a solid state as an alloy of iron and nickel because of the extreme pressure at the center of the Earth.
- Its temperature is estimated to be about 5,500-6,000 degrees (Celsius/9,930-10,830 Fahrenheit), similar to the sun's surface temperature.
- It has a distinct anisotropy, which is a property of a substance that allows it to take on different characteristics depending on the angle from which it’s approached.
- The concept of the innermost part of the inner core was first proposed in 2002 by seismologists from Harvard University— Miaki Ishii and Adam Dziewonski.
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About the Inner core of the Earth:
- It is a solid metallic ball made mainly of iron.
- The inner core is solid due to the pressure caused by the weight put on it by the Earth’s other top layers.
- It is distinct from the outer core, which is a liquid.
- Radius:
- The inner core has an average radius of 1220 km.
- The boundary between the inner and outer core is located at approximately 5150 km below the surface of the Earth.
- This boundary is called the Lehman Seismic Discontinuity.
Temperature: Inner core temperatures reach extraordinary levels, estimated to be between 7,200–8,500ºF (4,000–4,700ºC).
Properties:
- It is predicted to have very high thermal and electrical conductivity.
- The inner core generates its own magnetic field and spins a bit faster than the rest of the planet.
Q1) What are the different layers of earth?
The structure of the earth is divided into four major components: the crust, the mantle, the outer core, and the inner core. Each layer has a unique chemical composition, physical state, and can impact life on Earth's surface