For decades, scientists believed Earth’s inner core was a solid sphere of iron and nickel. New research suggests otherwise. USC scientists have discovered that the inner core’s edges are softer and shifting, deformed by the turbulence of the molten outer core. The finding came unexpectedly as researchers studied the core’s slowing rotation. While the full implications aren’t yet clear, the discovery could help unravel deeper mysteries about Earth’s magnetic and thermal systems—another clue in the planet’s ever-evolving puzzle.
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