Wander Thoughts

• Scientists have identified a doughnut-shaped structure located at the top of the Earth's outer core
• This lighter section helps agitate the liquid metal, inducing the magnetic field

Researchers have discovered a massive, ring-like formation located thousands of kilometers beneath the Earth's surface.

To gaze into the Earth's enigmatic liquid core.

Researchers discovered a region about two hundred kilometers thick, in which seismic waves move at a speed two percent slower than normal.

This doughnut-shaped structure runs parallel to the equator in a ring around the outer edge of the liquid core, and could be behind the generation of our planet's shielding magnetic field.

The researcher, Professor Hrvoje Tkalčić, stresses that 'the magnetic field is a vital component essential for sustaining life on our planet's surface.'

The surface crust, the semi-molten mantle, a liquid metal outer core, and a solid metal inner core.

When seismic activity caused by the movement of tectonic plates within the Earth's crust results in earthquakes, these generate vibrations that radiate through all the surrounding layers of the Earth.

Utilizing the comprehensive global network of seismic measurement equipment.

Researchers typically focus on the large, intense seismic waves that travel globally within the first hour after an earthquake.

However, Professor Tkalčić and his co-author Dr. Xiaolong Ma were able to identify this structure by analyzing the faint impressions left behind by waves many hours after the initial seismic event.

This method has shown that seismic waves near the poles are moving at a faster rate than those near the equator.

By comparing their results to various models of the Earth's interior, Professor Tkalčić and Dr. Ma determined that this scenario is best explained by the presence of a massive subterranean region resembling a torus or a donut-shape.

They forecast that this region is only found at low latitudes and extends parallel to the equator near the boundary between the outer core's liquid section and the mantle above.

‘We are not aware of the precise thickness of the doughnut, but we have inferred that it reaches a few hundred kilometres below the core-mantle boundary,’ Professor Tkalčić states.

Their discovery will likely have significant consequences for the research of life on Earth and other planets.

The Earth's outer core has a radius of approximately 2,160 miles (3,480 kilometers), which is marginally larger than Mars'.

Primarily composed of hot nickel and iron, rising and falling movements, driven by convection in combination with the Earth's rotation, produce vast, liquid metal columns that extend vertically, spinning in a north-south direction, similar to massive water tornadoes.

It is the swirling currents of these liquid metals that act as the dynamo, powering the Earth's magnetic field.

Since this region of the donut-shaped area has risen to the surface of the fluid outer core, it implies that it could be abundant in lighter elements such as silicon, sulfur, oxygen, hydrogen or carbon.

Professor Tkalčić notes: 'Our discoveries are significant because the low velocity within the liquid core suggests that there is a high concentration of light chemical elements in these areas, which would result in the seismic waves slowing down.

'These lighter elements, alongside temperature variations, contribute to stirring motion in the Earth's outer core.'

The Earth's magnetic field may not have originated without the stirring motion that drives the planet's interior dynamo.

Bask in the power of the sun, but beware of its capability to damage the DNA of living organisms.

This donut-shaped region might thus be a crucial part of the explanation for the development of life on Earth and a key in identifying habitable planets elsewhere.

Dr. Tkalčić concludes: 'Our results could lead to more research into the magnetic field on both Earth and other planets.'

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