Unraveling the Mysteries of the Earth’s Interior: Water’s Journey to the Core
The Earth’s interior remains shrouded in mystery, with many unknowns waiting to be discovered. Recently, scientists made a groundbreaking revelation: water is slowly seeping into the planet’s core from the surface.
This journey is far from simple. The water trickles down the descending tectonic plates, embarking on a 2,900-kilometer odyssey before finally reaching the core.
Despite the slow process, over billions of years, it has been instrumental in creating a new layer between the outer core’s molten metal and the Earth’s outer mantle.
In a new study, researchers at Arizona State University unveiled that the water triggers a chemical reaction, leading to the formation of a “few hundred kilometers thick” new layer. This may seem “thin” in the context of the Earth’s inner layers, but it signifies a significant development.
“For years, it has been believed that material exchange between Earth’s core and mantle is small. Yet, our recent high-pressure experiments reveal a different story,” co-author Dr. Dan Shim explained.
“We found that when water reaches the core-mantle boundary, it reacts with silicon in the core, forming silica. This discovery, along with our previous observation of diamonds forming from water reacting with carbon in iron liquid under extreme pressure, points to a far more dynamic core-mantle interaction, suggesting substantial material exchange.”
So, what does this mean for us on the surface?
The ASU release highlighted, “This finding advances our understanding of Earth’s internal processes, suggesting a more extensive global water cycle than previously recognized.” It added, “The altered ‘film’ of the core has profound implications for the geochemical cycles that connect the surface-water cycle with the deep metallic core.”
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