Weird Science

[DerVVulfman]

EARTH'S CORE STOPPED ROTATING?
AND IT MAY BE REVERSING COURSE?

Bizarre sounding, but apparently not 'Earth' Shattering.

Reported January 23rd by Nature Geoscience, the inner core of our little blue planet may have temporarily stopped rotating, or at least when compared to the mantle and the surface. And in fact, it may be reversing direction. However, this has been suggested as part of a 70-year-long cycle that might influence the days and our planet's magnetic field.

Obviously, some researchers are skeptical.

We see strong evidence that the inner core has been rotating faster than the surface.  Now it is gradually mov[ing] in the opposite direction.

Evidence of the inner core's fluctuating rotation first emerged in 1996 when a 30-year study suggested that seismic waves from earthquakes took different amounts of time to traverse Earth's solid heart. And scientists inferred the inner core rotates at a different speed than the mantle and crust, 1/360 faster than the rest of the Earth.

Again, not everyone is in agreement.

And as of 2022, Dr John Vidale of Los Angeles, and a colleague reported that the inner core may be reversing its direction every three years or so.

Meanwhile, other researchers suggest the core isn't moving at all.

Why can't they all just... get along?