Earth's Inner Core Has An Inner Core

On February 10th 2015, it was announced that scientists have discovered that there is an inner core within the inner core of the earth. A team of researchers at the University of Illinois used seismic waves from earth quakes to make this astonishing discovery.

What makes the inner-inner core so unique is the way that the iron crystals, which the inner core is made of, align. The iron crystals of the inner core align north and south along the earth's axis. The iron crystals of the inner-inner core, however, align east and west along the plane of the equator.

While multiple components of the inner core have been suggested some 10 years ago, this is the first time that a distinction in polarity has been determined. The discovery was made using technology that collects data from the resonating waves of a tremor's aftermath. The jolt from an earth quake is similar to that of a hammer striking a bell.

It was noted by one of the researchers that the coherent signal enhanced by the technology is clearer than the ring itself. When the scientists looked through the inner core, they discovered that it had some complex structural properties. The inner-inner core is believed to be about half the size of the inner core, and could hold some clues to how the earth evolved.