10 Interesting the Inner Core Facts

The innermost part of earth is explained on The Inner Core Facts. The scientists believe that the inner core has the radius at 768 miles or 1120 km. It is in the form of a solid ball. Compared to the radius of Moon, the earth’s inner core is 70 percent. The primary element to find in the inner core is an iron-nickel alloy. But it also has several light elements. Let’s find out other interesting facts about the inner core below:

The Inner Core Facts 1: the inner core boundary

The inner core boundary has the temperature at 5400 degree Celsius or 5700 K.

The Inner Core Facts 2: Inge Lehmann

Inge Lehmann was a seismologist who found that that our planet had a solid inner core in 1936. He also differentiated it with liquid outer core.

The Inner core Facts

The Inner Core Facts 3: the presence of solid inner core

She believed about the presence of solid inner core when she studied the seismograms from the New Zealand’s earthquakes.

The Inner Core Facts 4: Bullen discontinuity

Bullen discontinuity or Lehmann discontinuity is a term used to call the boundary of inner core. Inge believed that the sensitive seismographs located on the surface of earth can detect the seismic waves. The boundary of inner core is reflected through the seismic waves.

Inner core Pictures

The Inner Core Facts 5: the solid iron

There was a hypothesis proposed in 1940. It was related to the composition of inner core. It was believed that solid iron composed the inner core. In 1971, there was a confirmation related to the rigidity of inner core.

The Inner Core Facts 6: the outer core

Other observations were made. Since the compression waves could pass through the core, it was believed that the outer core was liquid. Check facts about the Earth’s Mantle here.

Inner core Picture

The Inner Core Facts 7: the components in the inner core

The nickel-iron alloy is considered as the primary component found in the inner core. The lighter elements like sulfur, oxygen and silicon are the light materials in the core. Get facts about the Greenhouse Effect here.

The Inner Core Facts 8: the melting point

The experts believe that iron at the inner core boundary has the melting point at 6230 ± 500 Kelvin.

Inner core Images

The Inner Core Facts 9: is it a uniform matter?

If you think that inner core has uniform structure, you are wrong. The large scale structures can be found on the inner core.

The Inner Core Facts 10: the current discoveries

Layers are found on the solid inner core based on the current discoveries.

Inner core

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