The Earth’s inner core, predominantly composed of iron with a minor admixture of nickel and light elements, is a critical component in understanding our planet’s magnetic field and thermal evolution.

Deep inside Earth, researchers see signs that the solid inner core may be arranged in multiple chemical layers far below.

Earth's inner core is solid and blistering hot. For decades, scientists have known the inner core is solid thanks to the pioneering work of Danish seismologist Inge Lehmann, who first proposed its ...

Earth’s inner core has long puzzled scientists because seismic waves move through it unevenly. Compressional waves from ...

Cartoon of the Earth with cutaway showing the mantle and inner and outer core. Magnetic field lines produced by the geodynamo extend into space and interact with the solar wind. The iron-rich core at ...

The Earth’s inner core, a solid sphere predominantly composed of iron and nickel, occupies a central role in our planet’s evolution and geodynamo processes. Although hidden beneath thousands of ...

Earth cross section showing the classic distinction between crust, mantle and core. But new research shows Earth's structure is far more complicated and may change over time. Analyzing an unusual ...

What is the speed and timing of the Earth’s inner core cooling? This is what a recent study published in Nature Communications hopes to address as a team of scientists investigated the composition ...

A schematic illustration of the Earth's inner core, which is the deepest region in the Earth. Researchers have found evidence that in addition to iron and hydrogen, sulfur and silicon may be a part of ...

Russell has a PhD in the history of medicine, violence, and colonialism. His research has explored topics including ethics, science governance, and medical involvement in violent contexts. Russell has ...

Researchers in England believe carbon played a key role in freezing Earth’s core. As it contributes to the cooling and freezing of the molten outer core, the solid, iron-rich center of Earth continues ...

Deep beneath our feet, far beyond the reach of drills or submersibles, Earth hides a solid metal heart that behaves in ways geophysicists have struggled to explain. New experiments now suggest that a ...