Uploaded January 2023 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
The Earth's core is located 5000 km or 3100 miles under the surface, and is made of solid metal, mostly iron and nickel. It is separated from the mantle by a molten outer core.
Just less than a decade ago, seismologists had confirmed, that the Earth's core spins independent of the mantle around it.
The core's rotation was confirmed using seismic data since the 1960s. The travel time of the shock waves from earthquakes differed as these passed through mantle and the core. The change in the seismic wave travel time indicated that the core was rotating at a speed faster than the mantle.
However, a recent study of the seismic data indicates, that the core has stopped spinning and might be reversing its direction. It is believed to have come to a complete halt around 2009, and is now starting to reverse the direction. It is the first time such an event has been recorded.
The study was published a few days ago, by scientists at Beijing's Peking University, in the journal Nature Geoscience.
We currently know very little about the inside of the Earth. Although this news sounds like a movie plot, but it should not be a reason for any alarm. Scientists have confirmed, that this is not the first time the reversal has happened. The Core oscillates, following a seven decade cycle, rotating in one direction for roughly 35 years. One full cycle in both directions is around 70 years.
This switching cycle coincides with changes in the length of day and the Earth's magnetic field.
The last time the switch happened in the 1970's and is likely to happen again around the 2040s.
The study is important in knowing more about continental drift and earthquakes. And most importantly, about what is going on underneath our feet.
The Earth's core is located 5000 km or 3100 miles under the surface, and is made of solid metal, mostly iron and nickel. It is separated from the mantle by a molten outer core.
Just less than a decade ago, seismologists had confirmed, that the Earth's core spins independent of the mantle around it.
The core's rotation was confirmed using seismic data since the 1960s. The travel time of the shock waves from earthquakes differed as these passed through mantle and the core. The change in the seismic wave travel time indicated that the core was rotating at a speed faster than the mantle.
However, a recent study of the seismic data indicates, that the core has stopped spinning and might be reversing its direction. It is believed to have come to a complete halt around 2009, and is now starting to reverse the direction. It is the first time such an event has been recorded.
The study was published a few days ago, by scientists at Beijing's Peking University, in the journal Nature Geoscience.
We currently know very little about the inside of the Earth. Although this news sounds like a movie plot, but it should not be a reason for any alarm. Scientists have confirmed, that this is not the first time the reversal has happened. The Core oscillates, following a seven decade cycle, rotating in one direction for roughly 35 years. One full cycle in both directions is around 70 years.
This switching cycle coincides with changes in the length of day and the Earth's magnetic field.
The last time the switch happened in the 1970's and is likely to happen again around the 2040s.
The study is important in knowing more about continental drift and earthquakes. And most importantly, about what is going on underneath our feet.
