Researchers Find New Layer In The Earth's Core

Earth has a fifth layer (Nasa Gov)

JAKARTA - Students have been taught that the Earth consists of four main layers, namely the earth's crust, mantle, outer core, and inner core. However, the latest findings prove that there is another layer of the earth at the center of the planet.

Cited from The Next Web, researchers from The Australian National University (ANU) discovered a mysterious new layer at the center of planet Earth. They call it the "innermost core".

Scientists speculate that it contains secrets about dramatic events as yet unknown in Earth's history. Geologists first proposed the idea of a fifth layer several decades ago but struggled to detect it.

The new research provides further evidence by analyzing changes in seismic waves as they travel through the planet's core. The research team used a tracing algorithm to compare thousands of inner core models with seismic wave travel time data.

They found changes in the iron structure about 650 km from the center of the earth. This indicates an additional layer.

"We found evidence that may indicate changes in the structure of iron, suggesting possibly two separate cooling events in Earth's history", study author Joanne Stephenson said in a statement.

However, until now the newly discovered deep layer is still shrouded in mystery. Nonetheless, Stephenson believes there will be further and more in-depth analysis to increase our knowledge of Earth's evolution.

"It's very interesting, and probably means we have to rewrite the textbook (Earth history)", he said.