Importance of the Earth's Core

Serena Cuoghi
Title of Professor of Biology

The center of the Earth presents a very special composition, divided into two layers. An external one, composed of iron and nickel mainly, along with a very low percentage of other elements that remain to be precisely determined. This large area of ​​the endosphere is in a liquid state due to its high temperatures, an essential factor that generates the electromagnetic field of the planet as a consequence of the constant movement of metal particles melted.

Despite these extreme characteristics, the inner core of the Earth appears, on the contrary, in a dense solid state, as a consequence of the high pressure to which the iron that compose. This difference in state between the two layers gives the immense sphere of the inner core the freedom to rotate on itself, a phenomenon that differs slightly from the rotation of the rest of the planet, both rotations occurring in the same direction, thus creating the illusion that the nucleus was not moving.

magnetic attraction

The magnetic field that surrounds the planet is generated by the movement of the electrically conductive fluids that make up the core. of the Earth by means of movements that generate electric currents, which in turn produce a field of nature electromagnetic, or simply also called magnetic, which extends into space around the planet, forming the magnetosphere.

The existence of this phenomenon is essential for life for several fundamental reasons, among which it has been possible to understand and apply so far: 1) its function as a protective shield repelling high-energy solar and cosmic particles that can be harmful to the health; 2) it allows the geographic and spatial orientation of many living beings, such as migratory birds and sea turtles; 3) it generates the force of gravity that keeps us grounded; 4) it serves for the functioning and operability of most modern technology, such as communications satellites and GPS navigation systems; and 5) this magnetic field also makes it possible to study the internal structure of the Earth and better understand the geological processes that shape the planet.

geomorphic stability

The study of geology and terrestrial dynamics is an area that has had a slow development, due to the great difficulty it represents. access to the layers that make up the planet, however, technological advances based on the use of properties Electromagnetics have allowed us to generate an ever deeper understanding of the composition and organization of the structure land.

The matrix of knowledge generated up to now makes it possible to assume increasingly clear notions about the responsibility that the Earth's core has, even in its own way that it has adopted, and in the existing dynamics between its various layers, having given it, through its modification through the geological ages, an increasing stability to the form land. This process, together with the decrease in planetary radioactivity, has facilitated the evolutionary development of species and the increase in the biodiversity as a consequence of the reduction of seismic phenomena, volcanic activity, the movement of tectonic plates and the subsequent abrupt formation of mountains and depressions, as well as atmospheric disturbance, until reaching the environmental stability that we enjoy in these times.

To the heat of the magma

The high temperatures and pressure to which the outer core of the earth is subjected, coupled with the fact of its low density, eventually induces a necessary release of the excess energy that condenses, a phenomenon that usually manifests itself through expulsions of lava towards the surface, following the route than the various routes that the rest of the terrestrial layers facilitate, until reaching the top of the imposing volcanoes scattered over the planet.

These energetic movements are also largely responsible for seismic activity, so keeping the behavior of the Earth's core under the sight of scientific research, sooner or later, could allow an efficient prediction of earthquakes and other phenomena of high risk for the populations and biomes, being able to take as many measures as possible to minimize environmental catastrophes, or at least that is what is wait.

Quite possibly the core of the Earth is one of the most mysterious and fascinating parts of the planet, at least for those who are dedicated to studying it, although, Certainly, in recent years it has been the source of various controversies that have helped it become popular among those who have nothing to do with the geological investigations, and it is that absolutely everything that concerns terrestrial affairs maintains a close link with the most internal and inaccessible to the world.

References

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Romero, I., & Sampayo, A. (2010, October). High energy neutrinos and the interior of the earth. In ANNALS AFA (Vol. 22, no. 2).

Tarbuck, E. J., Lutgens, F. K., Rate, D., & Scientists, A. T. (2005). Earth Sciences (Vol. 1). Madrid: Pearson Education.

Valdivia, L. m. TO. (1996). Geophysical properties of the earth (Vol. 10). Plaza and Valdes.

Valero, f. J. no. (1992). Mathematical theory of the free oscillations of the earth. Physical implications (Doctoral dissertation, Polytechnic University of Madrid).