After extensive research, scientists believe they may have finally discovered the source behind the enigmatic layer of crystals enveloping the Earth's core. It appears to be the result of a peculiar phenomenon known as "water leak," where water seeps from our planet's surface and interacts with the metallic core at its center.
In this article we are going to tell you everything you need to know about the discovery of the layer of crystals that surrounds the Earth's core.
How the Earth's core works
The first thing we need to know is how the Earth's core works. We must know that there are different layers from the surface to the interior of the Earth's core. The Earth is made up of various internal layers that, together, form its internal structure. These layers are mainly divided into three: the crust, mantle and core.
The Earth's crust is the outermost and thinnest layer. It is made up of rocks and minerals, and its thickness varies between a few kilometers in the oceans and up to 70 kilometers in continental areas. This layer is the one we inhabit and where the oceans, continents and most of life on Earth are located.
Just below the crust is the mantle, which is a denser and warmer layer. It extends to a depth of approximately 2,900 kilometers. Although the mantle is composed mostly of solid rocks, its behavior is plastic on geologic time scales, meaning that it flows slowly over geologic time.
The Earth's core is located in the innermost part and is subdivided into two regions: the outer core and the inner core. The outer core, composed mainly of iron and nickel, is liquid due to the high temperatures and pressures inside the Earth. In contrast, the inner core is solid, despite the high temperatures, due to the extreme pressure to which it is subjected.
Studies on the crystal layer
During the 1990s, scientists specializing in the field of geology made an intriguing revelation: a delicate envelope surrounding the Earth's outer core came to light. This sheath, called the E-prime layer or E' layer, consists of a swirling expanse of liquid metal surrounding the solid inner core. Relatively thin compared to other regions of the Earth's interior, the E' layer measures more than 100 kilometers thick. Located approximately 2.900 kilometers below the planet's surface.
The origin of the E' layer has long been the subject of scientific speculation. A prevailing hypothesis suggested that it originated from an iron-rich magma that existed in ancient times. Alternatively, some theories proposed that it originated in the inner core or that it formed during a collision between Earth and a protoplanet, eventually leading to the creation of the Moon and leaving fragments of the early Earth embedded within its interior. However, none of these hypotheses have achieved widespread acceptance within the scientific community.
According to a recent publication in the journal Nature Geoscience on November 13, researchers have discovered that The formation of the E' layer can be attributed to water infiltrating the Earth's surface through subducting tectonic plates. and subsequently interacts with the metallic surface of the outer core. This process is similar to that observed in the formation of some ice crystals.
If this recent discovery is accurate, it means that the E' layer has generated significant amounts of silica crystals through the aforementioned process. Subsequently, these crystals have entered the mantle, an immense deposit of molten rock located between the outer core and the outermost layer of the Earth's crust.
Experiments on the crystal layer
Through a series of controlled laboratory experiments, the researchers aimed to recreate the intense pressure conditions that occur in the outer core and observe the interaction between water and metal. The results of these experiments demonstrated that hydrogen, which Found in water, it displaces silica within the liquid metal, which causes the silica to separate from the metal and form crystalline structures. Consequently, the E' layer of the outer core is predicted to possess a high concentration of hydrogen and a low concentration of silica, challenging previous beliefs about its composition.
The current thickness of the E' layer is believed to have been reached over a span of more than a billion years, potentially making it older than the inner core, which solidified roughly a billion years ago, according to the researchers. This latest discovery serves as further evidence that our current understanding of the dynamic relationship between the outer core and mantle may still contain gaps and inaccuracies.
During the month of September 2022, the same group of researchers made the important discovery that Water seepage has the potential to interact with important carbon deposits located in the outer core. This interaction, in turn, results in the formation of enormous diamond-producing facilities near the boundary separating the core and mantle layers. The process of diamond formation is fascinating and has similarities to other phenomena such as the eruption of volcanoes.
According to a statement by study co-author Dan Shim, a geoscientist at Arizona State University, the prevailing belief for years has been that the transfer of material between the Earth's core and the mantle is minimal. However, these recent findings indicate a significantly more active interaction between the core and the mantle, implying a substantial exchange of materials.
As you can see, with science everything established can be modified as soon as there is a new discovery. Everything we thought was one way can change completely. I hope that with this information you can learn more about the studies about the layer of crystals that surrounds the Earth's core, its characteristics and discoveries.
