Researchers from China have confirmed the existence of an approximately 8.5-year Inner Core Wobble (ICW) in both polar motion and length-of-day variations, revealing a static tilt of about 0.17 degrees between the Earth's inner core and mantle, challenging traditional assumptions and providing insights into the Earth's internal dynamics and density distribution.

Researchers from China have confirmed the existence of an approximately 8.5-year Inner Core Wobble (ICW) in both polar motion and length-of-day variations, revealing a static tilt of about 0.17 degrees between the Earth’s inner core and mantle, challenging traditional assumptions and providing insights into the Earth’s internal dynamics and density distribution.

The findings of the study are published in Nature Communications.

  • sinkingshipEnglish
    1·
    10 months ago

    Is that an alternative explanation to the “inner core stopped moving and may reverse” theory? Wasn’t that also in a 7, 8 year cycle?

    To me (total idiot layman) this could make much more sense. What power could possibly make a 2400 km diameter metal ball change spin direction every few years?

    But a wobble, yeah. Like a spinning top toy that lost a little speed and isn’t perfectly upright anymore.