Study It has been said that the innermost layer of the Earth, called the core, is now rotating slower than before. The core has two parts – an inner core, and an outer core. The inner core has been rotating slowly since 2010. This can change the length of the day by a fraction of a second.
The inner part of the Earth’s core, the core, is considered to be a solid sphere made of metals like iron and nickel. Whereas its outer part is made of liquid which contains molten metals. After this there are the other two outer layers of the Earth. After the core there is the mantle layer and after that the uppermost layer is the crust, on which we live.
Researchers study these layers through waves. These waves are sent out during earthquakes. By recording these, researchers find out the position and composition of the three layers. John Vidale, a professor associated with the study from the University of Southern California, says that he was stunned when he saw the seismogram waves for the first time.
After several decades the speed of Indian core has reduced. At the same time, some studies about it also say that it is rotating faster than the speed of the Earth. Its rotation is affected by the magnetic field produced by the outer core. Besides, the gravity of the mantle is also said to have an effect on it.
Researcher Duncan Agnew from the University of California San Diego says that the speed of the liquid core was also less than the speed of the Earth. To reduce this effect, the solid part of the Earth started rotating at a faster speed. A few years since 1972, there has been a need to add a leap second to UTC time, because it is believed that the Earth does not always rotate at the same speed.