![\"Inner](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/inner-core-of-earth.png\")
<\/p>\nResearchers have uncovered a previously unknown “supersonic state” lurking deep within our planet.<\/p>\n
Scientists at China’s Sichuan University have determined that Earth’s innermost core does not behave as a conventional solid.<\/p>\n
This unusual condition allows carbon atoms to move freely through a rigid iron structure, behaving much like a liquid passing through a crystalline framework.<\/p>\n
The discovery means the planet’s core can simultaneously function as a dense solid whilst retaining the flexibility of molten metal.<\/p>\n
Sichuan University scientist determined that Earth’s innermost core does not behave as a conventional solid<\/p>\n
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GETTY<\/p>\n
For years, geologists have struggled to explain how the inner core could exhibit such contradictory properties, appearing both rigid and remarkably pliable.<\/p>\n
The inner core represents one of the most hostile environments anywhere in our solar system, a 102 quintillion-tonne sphere of iron alloy situated more than 3,000 miles beneath the Earth’s surface.<\/p>\n
At such depths, the material endures crushing forces exceeding 3.3 million atmospheres whilst being subjected to temperatures approaching those found on the sun’s surface.<\/p>\n
Despite evidence suggesting the core is solid, it displays characteristics more commonly associated with softened metals.<\/p>\n
![\"Inner](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/inner-core-of-earth.jpg\")
The inner core represents one of the most hostile environments anywhere in our solar system<\/p>\n
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GETTY<\/p>\n
Seismic waves travelling through this region slow considerably, similar to sound passing through water, and the material demonstrates a pliability more akin to butter than steel.<\/p>\n
This paradox of a structure that is simultaneously solid yet malleable has confounded researchers for years.<\/p>\n
To test whether this superionic phase could actually occur, the research team subjected iron-carbon samples to extreme shockwave experiments designed to replicate conditions found at the planet’s centre.<\/p>\n
The scientists accelerated the metal to speeds of 15,650 miles per hour, generating pressures of 1.38 million atmospheres and temperatures reaching approximately 2,300C.<\/p>\n
![\"Earth's](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/earth-s-magnetic-field.jpg\")
The findings carry significant implications for understanding how Earth generates its protective magnetic field<\/p>\n
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GETTY<\/p>\n
Analysis of the resulting shockwaves revealed that the iron-carbon samples became substantially more malleable as conditions approached those of the inner core.<\/p>\n
Professor Youjun Zhang of Sichuan University explained the phenomenon: “In this state, carbon atoms become highly mobile, diffusing through the crystalline iron framework like children weaving through a square dance, while the iron itself remains solid and ordered.”<\/p>\n
Computer simulations had predicted this phase was possible back in 2022, but the extreme conditions required made experimental verification exceptionally challenging until now.<\/p>\n
The findings carry significant implications for understanding how Earth generates its protective magnetic field.<\/p>\n
Dr Yuqian Huang, a co-author of the study, said: “Atomic diffusion within the inner core represents a previously overlooked energy source for the geodynamo.<\/p>\n
In addition to heat and compositional convection, the fluidlike motion of light elements may help power Earth’s magnetic engine.”<\/p>\n
The research suggests geologists may need to fundamentally reconsider their understanding of the planet’s deepest regions.<\/p>\n
Professor Zhang added: “We’re moving away from a static, rigid model of the inner core toward a dynamic one.”<\/p>\n
Beyond explaining why seismic waves behave unusually when passing through the core, the discovery could illuminate aspects of planetary evolution and help scientists interpret the magnetic fields of distant exoplanets.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Researchers have uncovered a previously unknown “supersonic state” lurking deep within our planet. Scientists at China’s Sichuan University…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":180817,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[85,46,141,52701,145],"class_list":{"0":"post-180816","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-space","8":"tag-il","9":"tag-israel","10":"tag-science","11":"tag-sgg","12":"tag-space"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/180816","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=180816"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/180816\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/180817"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=180816"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=180816"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=180816"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}