Earth's Inner Core: Slowing Down and Changing Our Day

A new study reveals that Earth's inner core began slowing its rotation in 2010, potentially altering the length of a day by fractions of a second. This solid sphere within the liquid outer core has puzzled researchers using seismic data to understand its behavior, stirring debates in the scientific community.

In a groundbreaking revelation, a recent study has provided unequivocal evidence that the Earth's inner core initiated a slowdown in its rotation in 2010, diverging from the speed of the planet's surface.

The slowdown phenomenon could result in fractional alterations to the length of a day on Earth. The Earth's inner core, a solid iron-nickel sphere ensconced in the liquid outer core, has been primarily studied through seismic data.

Dr. John Vidale, a prominent Earth Sciences professor at the University of Southern California, described the results as inescapable, highlighting this pattern detected in multiple seismic observations.