The solid core will begin to rotate in the opposite direction, according to Chinese scientists – Makeleio.gr

It is believed that the rotation of the Earth's solid inner core has recently stopped, and the core appears to be preparing to reverse its movement in the opposite direction, according to Chinese scientists. Based on indications so far, the reverse rotation is likely to be completed within the next decade, while potential impacts on the planet's surface will be studied.

The researchers, led by Peking University seismologist Xiaodongsong, who published the study in the journal Nature Geoscience, based their estimates on analysis of seismic waves from nearly identical earthquakes that have penetrated the Earth's core following similar “paths” from the 1960s to today. .

The analysis concluded that after the 1970s, the inner core was rotating increasingly faster to the east, until between 2009 and 2011 its rotation appeared to have stopped, perhaps due to an impending reversal of the rotation direction.

The researchers estimate that the impending new shift in the core's rotation in the opposite direction, this time toward the west, is part of a possible six- to seven-decade periodic cycle (a theory that needs confirmation). Based on this model, the core is expected to rotate westward with increasing speed until the 2040s, when it will stop and reverse its motion eastward again.

As for the inner core, whose radius is estimated at 1,220 kilometers, and is mainly composed of iron and nickel, and whose temperatures are similar to the temperature of the sun, it is separated from the rest of the solid parts of the Earth by the liquid outer core, which allows it to rotate differently from the Earth. The planet itself. The rotation of the inner core is affected by the magnetic field generated by the molten outer core, and is balanced by the gravitational effects of the mantle, the intermediate layer of the Earth between the core and the crust. The speed of rotation of the nucleus and the extent to which it changes remains a matter of scientific debate.

Also under discussion is how the direction of the inner core's rotation relates to geophysical changes on our planet's surface, such as the magnetic field and day length, where there is thought to be an interaction.