Recent studies show that the Earth’s core, which rotates at its center, recently stopped spinning, and then began to spin in the opposite direction it had been for decades.
Two scientists from Peking University in China are tracking the mysterious movements of the core by studying the seismic waves emitted by earthquakes originating from the Earth’s inner core. By looking at the changes in these waves, it is possible to understand what is going on in the inner layers of the Earth, where it is not possible to descend with any device. The data obtained by scientists show the changes in seismic waves over decades. The first registration starts in Alaska in 1960, the last registration is dated 2021.
According to the information obtained from the data, there was a significant inactivity in the Earth’s core in 2009. This suggests that the nucleus may have stopped spinning at that time. Immediately after, it is seen that it starts to turn in the opposite direction.
Because the Earth’s solid inner core is surrounded by a liquid outer core, the Earth’s surface and core can rotate in different directions. The rotation of the inner core is governed by the magnetic waves produced in the liquid outer core and the gravitational effect of the mantle. Studies say that this event happens in a certain cycle. This cycle is estimated to occur once every 70 years.
Interestingly, some unusual data were found in the early 1970s, as was the case with this new study. The results show that the inner core rotated in a different direction from 1969 to 1971, and in a different direction from 1971 to 1974.
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