The Earth’s core is slowing down

Deep within the Earth, a solid metal ball spins independently of our spinning planet, like a top spinning inside a larger top, shrouded in mystery. Since its discovery by Danish seismologist Inge Lehmann in 1936, this inner core has fascinated researchers. Its motion—including its speed and direction of rotation—has been the subject of decades-long debate. … Read more

The depth and inaccessibility of the inner core means that uncertainties remain. Deep within the Earth, a solid metal ball spins independently of our spinning planet, like a top spinning inside a larger top, shrouded in mystery. Since its discovery by Danish seismologist Inge Lehmann in 1936, this inner core has fascinated researchers. Its motion—including … Read more