Is The Earth's Inner Core Solid? A New Report Says It Isn't
Many scientific theories have been replaced by new ones as science progresses, and now, it seems time to update the inner Earth's core theory. The Earth's inner core is responsible for keeping the planet at just the right temperature. It is also responsible for generating the Earth's magnetic field that shields people against solar flares and solar wind and guards the atmosphere.
Inner core theories do not only affect this planet. Every planet has a distinct environment, and its inner core is the leading cause for it. For example, Mars has a weak atmosphere. It is believed to have lost all its water due to a rapid debilitation of its magnetic field. The inner core activity would cause this. NASA's Insight mission is attempting to understand this issue.
Related: There's Something Super Weird About Mars' Moon Phobos
The standing theory on the Earth's inner core is that it is a solid sphere made chiefly of iron. However, elements like nickel, silicon, sulfur, carbon, oxygen and hydrogen are also believed to be found inside the core. A new study published in Nature is now challenging this theory. Scientists simulated the conditions inside the core and observed what happened to hydrogen, oxygen and carbon when packed closely to iron. They found the elements were not solid but went into a superionic state to their surprise.
Traditional science identifies four states of matter, solid, liquid, gas and plasma. These states are linked to conditions of temperature and pressure. For example, when the temperature drops, water freezes and changes its state from liquid to solid. All elements have their breaking point and change form. However, modern scientific discoveries of the 20th century have introduced a wide new range of states
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