Discover the mysterious journey of water from the surface of the Earth to the core, as scientists at Arizona State University reveal a groundbreaking study.
The liquid drips down descending tectonic plates on a 2,900 kilometre journey, eventually reaching the core after billions of years. This slow process has formed a new layer between the molten metal of the outer core and the outer mantle, which scientists estimate to be “a few hundred kilometres thick.”
The water triggers a chemical reaction at the core-mantle boundary, forming silica as it reacts with the silicon in the core. This discovery suggests a more dynamic core-mantle interaction and substantial material exchange than previously believed.
The implications of this finding are significant, extending our understanding of Earth’s internal processes and suggesting a more extensive global water cycle. The altered ‘film’ of the core has profound implications for the geochemical cycles connecting the surface-water cycle with the deep metallic core.
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