How did the Earth's inner core become solid and frozen?
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High concentrations of carbon in Earth's inner core could explain a long-standing mystery about how the Earth's deepest parts froze into solid form, a process that initiates the magnetic fields that protect life on the surface.
The Earth's inner core is a paradox for geophysicists. It first formed as a gigantic ball of liquid consisting primarily of iron, then began to solidify within the last billion years. A pure iron object must be cooled to at least 700 Kelvin for the freezing process to begin.
Source: www.newscientist.com
