Researchers discovered that Earth’s inner core has a hidden inner core of its own and this so-called “inner-inner core” seems to have some very peculiar properties. They believe that, by analyzing the inner-inner core, it may be possible to know about how our planet formed, its history, and other dynamic processes.
Different Layers of the Earth
Earth can be divided into three main layers. They are,
1. Crust (Top Layer) – Outer Crust and Inner Crust – Made of silicon, aluminium, calcium etc
2. Mantle (Middle Layer) – Upper Mantle and Lower Mantle – Iron in the form of Silicate rocks
3. Core (Inner Layer) – Outer Core and Inner Core – Made of Iron and Nickel
The Researchers found a distinct inner-inner core, which is about half the diameter of the whole inner core. The iron crystals in the outer layer of the inner core are aligned in north-south direction. However, in the inner-inner core, the iron crystals point roughly east-west. On the basis of the alignment and the complex properties, researchers believe that the Earth’s inner-inner core might be made of some different type of crystal.