Scientists Just Narrowed Down The Age of Earth's Inner Core

Seldom Bucket

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At some point in Earth's 4.5-billion-year history, its entirely liquid iron core cooled enough to form a solid ball in the centre. Today, our planet's core consists of a solid iron inner core surrounded by a molten iron outer core, but pinning down exactly when this change occurred has proven quite difficult.



Estimates range from 4.5 billion years ago - the age of Earth itself - to 565 million years ago; now, a new study has finally narrowed it down. According to data obtained in laboratory experiments that create conditions approaching those in the planetary core, the age of the inner core should be somewhere between 1 billion and 1.3 billion years.

In turn, this helps us to narrow down the age of the geodynamo, which powers the magnetic field around Earth. This magnetic field contributes to conditions hospitable to life as we know it by protecting the planet's atmosphere from being blown away by the solar wind.

Therefore, it will come as no surprise that scientists are deeply interested in how it came to exist, and how it is maintained.

"People are really curious and excited about knowing about the origin of the geodynamo, the strength of the magnetic field, because they all contribute to a planet's habitability," said geoscientist Jung-Fu Lin of The University of Texas at Austin.

The geodynamo is created by the circulation of conducting iron in the outer core, driven by convection that's powered by two mechanisms.

 

AntiThesis

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Jul 17, 2020
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The pressures in the outer core range from 135 to 330 gigapascals
Holy shitsnacks that's a lot of pressure.

I find it totally bizarre to try and separate the age of the core with the rest in my head. It's such a strange concept - I love that someone is thinking about this stuff though.
 
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