The inner core of the Earth oscillates, causing variations in the length of the day, now say researchers, while contradicting a previously accepted theory.
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This is based on a study published in Science Advances. To the unaware, our planet¡¯s structure is split into layers, The inner core is at the centre, followed by the outer core, lower mantle, upper mantle crust and the atmosphere.
It was earlier believed that the inner core, which was also regarded as the hottest part of our planet, spun at a speed faster than the planet¡¯s surface. The new study by researchers at the University of Southern California (USC) have highlighted that the inner core actually oscillates (similar to that of a clock¡¯s pendulum) and it has changed direction in previous decades.
Researchers made use of seismic data from the Large Aperture Array and observed that the inner core spun slower than previously recorded one degree per year. The novel study found that it actually spun by 0.1 degrees every year.
They developed a novel beamforming technique and used it to analyse the waves generated from Soviet underground nuclear bomb tests from 1971 to 1974. They adopted the same technique for studying waves generated from two atomic tests conducted beneath the Amchitka Island
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Researchers observed deeply the compressional waves from the nuclear explosions and noted that the inner core had begun sub-rotating at a speed of around one tenth of a degree every year. This indicated a six-year oscillation via direct seismic observations for the very first time.?
They stated in the research, ¡°The inner core is not fixed ¡ª it's moving under our feet, and it seems to go back and forth a couple of kilometres every six years,¡±
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