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Earths Core

All articles tagged with #earths core

Ancient Geomagnetic Reversals Were Longer and Messier Than Thought
science7 days ago

Ancient Geomagnetic Reversals Were Longer and Messier Than Thought

A Newfoundland sediment core reveals two magnetic polarity reversals around 40 million years ago lasting about 18,000 and 70,000 years, far longer and more variable than the commonly cited ~10,000-year reversals. The findings suggest reversals are chaotic and driven by the Earth's geodynamo in the outer core, implying future reversals could last tens of thousands of years and may increase exposure to cosmic radiation with potential climate and biological impacts.

Earth’s Core Could Hold 45 Oceans of Water, New Study Suggests
science8 days ago

Earth’s Core Could Hold 45 Oceans of Water, New Study Suggests

A Nature Communications study led by Motohiko Murakami suggests hydrogen from early Earth became chemically bound inside the metallic core as iron hydrides, not as free gas or water. If hydrogen accounts for up to about 0.36% of the core’s mass, this could translate to roughly 45 oceans’ worth of water, implying Earth’s surface water may be just a fraction of a much larger deep-water inventory formed during planet formation.

Earth's Core May Harbor Massive Hydrogen Reserves, Redrawing Water's Origin
science18 days ago

Earth's Core May Harbor Massive Hydrogen Reserves, Redrawing Water's Origin

A Nature Communications study estimates Earth’s molten iron core could host a vast hydrogen reservoir—potentially the planet’s largest—amounting to about 0.07% to 0.36% of the core’s weight, equivalent to roughly nine to 45 hydrogen oceans. Using atom probe tomography and high-pressure iron experiments to mimic core formation, researchers examined how hydrogen interacts with silicon and oxygen under extreme conditions. If confirmed, this suggests Earth acquired most of its water during its early growth rather than via late comet deliveries and may relate to heat flow that helps power the magnetic field; however, the estimate relies on indirect methods with uncertainties, and further work is needed to refine the numbers.

New Discoveries Reveal Complex Layers and States in Earth's Inner Core
science2 months ago

New Discoveries Reveal Complex Layers and States in Earth's Inner Core

A NASA-led study reveals a strong correlation between Earth's magnetic field and atmospheric oxygen levels over the past 540 million years, suggesting that processes in Earth's molten core have played a crucial role in creating conditions suitable for complex life, with implications for understanding planetary habitability and the search for life on exoplanets.