A new study shows that the inner core changed shape in just a few decades, challenging previous assumptions and revealing hidden dynamics deep within Earth.

Scientists of course cannot cut into Earth and directly observe its insides. Instead, their knowledge is inferred from the vibrations generated by earthquakes that pass through the planet. The speed and the direction of the seismic vibrations change depending on the density and the elasticity of the rocks.

A new study reveals that the Earth's inner core is undergoing a structural transformation. A new study by USC scientists, published in Nature Geoscience, reveals structural changes near the Earth's inner core,

The planet’s inner core was previously thought of as a hard, solid sphere. But a new study has found that its edges are softer than realized and actually changing shape.