New study: Earth's 'beating heart' may have deformed at some places

Our planet’s inner core might have taken a new shape in the past 20 years. The edges of the Earth’s inner core, which is a circle, have likely deformed by 100 metres or more in height in some places, a study published in the scientific journal Nature Geoscience reveals.

The scientists who conducted the study under Professor John Vidale initially aimed to understand why the inner core appeared to slow down relative to Earth’s rotation before accelerating again in 2010.

Why is Earth’s inner core important?

Like the ‘core’ of most things, the Earth’s inner core is like the heart of the planet. It produces a magnetic field that veils life on Earth from the Sun’s harmful radiation.

The inner core rotates separately from both the liquid outer core and the rest of the Earth. This movement is essential for sustaining the planet’s magnetic field—without it, Earth could lose its protection and resemble Mars, which became a barren world after its magnetic field vanished billions of years ago.

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It lies about 4,000 miles below the Earth’s surface and despite several tries, scientists have not been able to reach it.

What does the study reveal?

Scientists say that the change in the shape might be occurring at the edge of the solid inner core that touches the hot liquid outer core.

The latest study analyzed seismic wave patterns from earthquakes that occurred repeatedly in the same location between 1991 and 2023, providing insight into the evolving behaviour of the inner core over time.

Talking about the findings of the study, Professor Hrvoje Tkalcic from Australian National University, said, “The paper provides “an interesting concept that should be explored further. It will allow scientists to make more informed estimates of some important material properties, such as the viscosity of the inner core, which is one of the least known quantities in modern science”.

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Will it affect Earth?

Professor Vidale said, “In all likelihood, this finding doesn’t affect our daily lives one iota, but we really want to understand what’s happening in the middle of the Earth,” adding that the alterations may only be connected to changes to the Earth’s magnetic field.