Unraveling Earth's Mysterious Depths
Earth's inner core, a red-hot ball of solid iron thousands of kilometers below the surface, remains relatively enigmatic due to its inaccessibility. Scientists gain insights into its nature through seismic waves and magnetic field studies. The inner core is believed to be primarily composed of an iron alloy with nickel and trace amounts of other elements. It rotates slightly faster than the rest of the planet, possibly due to Earth's magnetic field and the flow of molten iron in the outer core. The inner core formed about 1 billion years ago and remains hot due to leftover heat from planetary formation and the decay of radioactive elements. Recent findings suggest that the supposedly solid inner core may be slightly squishy.