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Scientists are puzzled by potential shifts in Earth’s core shape

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It is not unusual for the Earth’s core to experience changes in its rotational speed and shape over time. However, recent research has revealed some unexpected developments.

Scientists have been debating the reasons behind peculiar alterations in seismic waves caused by earthquakes. One side argues that changes in the rotational speed affect the travel time of the waves, while the other side suggests that alterations in the shape of the inner core are responsible. A new study published in Natural Earth Science by Chinese and US scientists indicates that it could be a combination of both factors.

The study reveals that in 2010, the Earth’s inner core started to rotate faster than other planets, potentially impacting seismic waves with changes near the surface of the core. These waves, similar to X-rays, provide insights into the planet’s interior. The findings are expected to provide more information about the core’s properties and structure.

“These findings present observable changes that offer a clearer understanding of how the inner core evolves over a few years. There could be more surprises in store,” said Professor John Emilio Vidale, the lead author of the study, to BBC Science Focus.

The Earth’s core is almost as hot as the sun’s surface and is located approximately 6,500 km (4,000 miles) below the Earth’s surface, with pressure exceeding that of the deepest ocean depths. Due to these extreme conditions, direct exploration of the core is not feasible.

Scientists rely on seismic waves generated by earthquakes to study the core. By analyzing how these waves travel through different layers of the Earth, including the core, scientists can gain a better understanding of its structure and movement.

In this recent research, the team focused on seismic waves from 121 repeat earthquake pairs in the South Sandwich Islands between 1991 and 2023. By examining changes in the arrival times and waveforms of these signals over decades, the team identified minor shifts in core movement.

These findings revealed interesting trends in the Earth’s inner core. It rotated faster than the mantle and crust for decades before slowing down around 2010. However, some earthquakes showed no significant time shifts, indicating occasional pauses or reversals in rotations.

https://c02.purpledshub.com/uploads/sites/41/2025/02/GettyImages-2148441484.mp4
The Earth’s core is composed of four main layers: the crust, mantle, outer core, and inner core.

The study also made secondary findings, suggesting that factors other than rotation might be affecting the inner core. The team believes that viscous transformations near the inner core’s boundary could be influencing its behavior.

While this behavior may appear unstable, further data is needed to confirm its normality and deepen our understanding of how the Earth’s core functions.

According to Vidale, the simplest explanation is that the movement of the outer core initiates rotations in the inner core, readjusting its position over decades. However, the exact mechanisms behind these adjustments remain uncertain.

“The inner core’s movements may not follow a harmonious pattern, as they seem to align with the outer core’s movements,” he explained.

While this study presents intriguing insights into the Earth’s core behavior, it could pave the way for more discoveries in the future. Vidale suggests that further analysis may reveal more about the core’s activity and its potential impact on Earth’s magnetic field and other phenomena.

This could help researchers understand unpredictable occurrences that may affect satellite operations and compass readings, although they may not have a direct impact on daily life.

About our experts

John Vidale is a professor of Earth Sciences and Dean at the University of Southern California. His research focuses on earthquakes, the Earth’s structure, volcanoes, and seismic hazards. Vidale has held various roles in earthquake research institutions and warning systems, contributing significantly to our understanding of seismic events.

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Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Scientists puzzled by mysterious ‘chirps’ in space

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The melodious high-pitched sound of birdsong is not something typically associated with the vastness of space, usually serving as a delightful indication of the arrival of spring. However, to the surprise of many, scientists at China’s Beijing Aviation University have recently stumbled upon a similar occurrence over 100,000 kilometers away from Earth.

Through the analysis of data collected from NASA’s Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) satellite, researchers have pinpointed a phenomenon referred to as “chorus waves,” which consist of bursts of electromagnetic radiation traveling along Earth’s magnetic field lines.

If one were to venture into space, this sound would remain unheard due to the absence of air for sound waves to propagate. Interestingly, upon conversion into an audio signal for examination, this “chirp” is actually the auditory representation of these waves.

https://c02.purpledshub.com/uploads/sites/41/2025/01/Space-chirps-v2.mp4
“Twitter” confirmed in space

So, what exactly causes these electromagnetic chirps? Contrary to expectations, it is not a celestial songbird. In reality, chorus waveforms are relatively common. However, the peculiarity lies in their location, as highlighted by their distance from Earth.

The energy transfer induced by chorus waves prompts electron acceleration to speeds nearing that of light, crucial for the formation of Earth’s radiation belts which shield against the sun’s energetic particles.

While these accelerated particles contribute to the magnificent aurora borealis, they are also dubbed “killer electrons” due to the hazards they pose to satellites, astronauts, and crucial communication systems.

Typically, these waves are found around 51,000 km (32,000 miles) away, in a region influenced by the “magnetic dipole effect,” defining the Earth’s magnetic field with north and south poles.

However, a 2016 study published in nature unveiled that for the first time, these chorus waves have been observed at distances up to 165,000 km (103,000 miles) from Earth, in regions where the magnetic field is distorted and dipole effects are absent.

Furthermore, these waves exhibit similar properties to those closer to Earth, lasting around 0.1 seconds with frequencies reaching nearly 100Hz (akin to the noise of a revving car engine).

Chorus waves are part of the complex magnetic field system that causes auroras – Photo credit: Getty

Why is this discovery significant? It indicates that Earth’s environmental conditions are not prerequisites for wave generation as previously assumed by scientists.

“Though this finding does not refute existing theories… it certainly prompts a deeper investigation,” remarked Professor Richard Horne, head of space weather at the British Antarctic Survey, not involved in the study.

“The unexpected presence of chorus waves in this region calls for further exploration in areas where the Earth’s magnetic field displays substantial deviations from the dipole.”

Chorus waves play a vital role in shielding Earth from solar storms, yet they also pose potential dangers. Enhanced understanding of these waves can lead to better protective measures.

Horne expressed that this breakthrough “will significantly enhance our comprehension of these waves and refine our capacity to forecast them.”

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Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Couriers puzzled by algorithms dictating work: The nightmare of the gig economy

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Delivery workers in Ballymena, Northern Ireland are often seen gathered around McDonald’s, waiting for orders and discussing the mysteries of the system that controls their work lives.

This week, gig workers, unions, and human rights organizations are demanding more transparency from Uber Eats, Just Eat, and Deliveroo regarding the algorithms that dictate their work assignments and pay. A campaign has been launched calling for greater transparency.

Workers question why some are given jobs as soon as they log in while others who have been waiting are ignored. They wonder why the app sometimes indicates no available delivery person, even when a restaurant is busy.

One driver, speaking anonymously, expressed frustration at trying to understand the algorithm’s logic. They speculate on how geolocation and other factors may influence the system’s decisions.

Drivers find the lack of human interaction and underpayment for their work disheartening. They struggle with automated processes and often feel disconnected from the platforms they work for.

While these issues persist, there is a growing demand for transparency and accountability in the gig economy. Workers like Lucas Myron have experienced sudden disruptions in their work without clear explanations or recourse.

James Farrar, a former Uber driver who successfully challenged the company for better employment rights, now advocates for gig workers’ rights. He highlights the challenges faced by workers who must navigate opaque algorithms and make decisions with little information.

The lack of transparency in algorithm-driven platforms creates uncertainty and stress for workers, who often feel powerless in understanding or challenging the decisions made about their work.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Scientists are puzzled by mysterious object speeding through galaxy at over a million miles per hour

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An object moving through space at close to 1 million miles per hour has been detected, moving so fast that it is leaving the Milky Way galaxy. Scientists are now trying to identify this mysterious object.

Currently located 400 light-years away, the object known as CWISE J1249 is unlikely to be a spacecraft due to its massive size. It is approximately 30,000 times the mass of Earth, making it about 8% of the mass of the Sun.

This unusual size places J1249 somewhere between a star and a planet, as described by Dr. Darren Baskill, a lecturer in astronomy at the University of Sussex. According to Dr. Baskill, stars moving at such high speeds are rare.

The object’s speed is so rapid that it could exit the Milky Way galaxy in just a few tens of millions of years, which is a short period considering stars’ long lifespans.

This massive object, flying at 0.001% of the speed of light, has the potential to escape the galaxy and venture into intergalactic space.

Discovered by citizen scientists contributing to NASA’s Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 project, J1249’s speed is approximately 2.6 times faster than any space probe ever launched.

A new study, pending peer review, confirms these findings and further characterizes the object discovered through the initiative.

The object, with an unusual composition compared to stars and brown dwarfs, may be the first star of its kind in the galaxy, based on NASA’s observations.

Researchers believe the high-speed movement of the object may be linked to a supernova explosion in a binary star system or encounters with black holes in a star cluster.

Dr. Baskill suggests that gravitational slingshots could explain the extreme speed of J1249, potentially originating from the galaxy’s dense center and accelerated through gravitational interactions.

About our experts:

Dr. Darren Baskill is an Outreach Officer and Lecturer at the University of Sussex School of Physics and Astronomy, with a background in organizing astronomy-related events and competitions.

For more information, visit the University of Sussex website.

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Physicists puzzled by the 1919 total solar eclipse

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Total solar eclipse in August 2017 over Jefferson City, Missouri

(NASA/Rami Daoud)

The following is an excerpt from the monthly Launchpad newsletter, where resident space expert Leah Crane travels through the solar system and beyond. You can sign up for Launchpad for free here.

It was in 1919 that the moon did something completely natural and blocked our view of the sun, forever changing our understanding of the universe. Observing from the African island of Principe, astronomer Arthur Eddington observed the positions of stars and planets that became visible in the eerie darkness of the day. Because most of the sun’s light was dimmed, he was able to see how light from distant stars is distorted when it is deflected by the sun’s gravity, an effect called gravitational lensing.

He confirmed his sightings with those of another expedition in Brazil, and these observations provided some of the first evidence for Albert Einstein’s relatively new theory of general relativity. This explanation of how massive objects distort the fabric of space-time is now considered fundamental, but at the time it was a revelation. It changed all the way we think about gravity and the universe.

It also led to my results Favorite newspaper headline most of all time, published in of new york times Later that year, “All the light in the heavens is slanted.” Scientists are more or less puzzled over the observations of solar eclipses. Triumph of Einstein’s theory The stars were determined by where they were visible and by calculation It’s not where it was, but no one needs to worry.”

“No one needs to worry” may seem like a bit of a stretch, but watching a total solar eclipse can certainly make you nervous in ways you can’t explain. I watched it for the first time in 2017. It was truly unforgettable. You might think of a solar eclipse as being like a cloudy day when clouds drift in front of the sun. After all, what’s happening is simply the moon passing in front of the sun and casting a shadow on Earth. But it’s surprisingly different.

The first thing you notice during a total solar eclipse is the moon’s shadow hurtling toward you across the ground at speeds of over 1,500 miles per hour. The extent of the shadow for April’s eclipse will be approximately 185 kilometers, but this can vary slightly based on the exact orientation of the Sun and Moon. As the shadow approaches, it looks like the moon has bitten the sun, and its light has a mysterious, foggy quality.

Suddenly, the area becomes dark. This is wholeness. Temperatures can drop up to 10 degrees. The only light comes from the sun’s outermost layer, called the corona, and ripples beyond the moon’s silhouette. It was completely dark, and some stars were visible in the sky. Many animals, including birds and insects, naturally seem to think it is night, and the otherworldly twilight becomes silent, except for the chirps of awakened nocturnal insects. I can’t tell you how you feel, but for me it was a mixture of awe and some strange primal fear. The sun disappeared, and even though my mind knew why, my body panicked at the loss.

solar eclipse 2024

On April 8th, a total solar eclipse will pass over Mexico, the United States, and Canada. Our special series covers everything you need to know, from how and when to see a solar eclipse to the strangest solar eclipse experience of all time.

This seems to be a fairly common reaction, not just in humans. Researchers who studied animals during past total solar eclipses found that while some animals simply finished their evening routine early, many showed signs of anxiety and were aimless during total solar eclipses. I discovered that they run and huddle together.

Then, just a few minutes later, the total star will retreat as quickly as it arrived. The shadows rush away, the sun comes out again, and the birds and insects sing again. Astronomers look up from their solar telescopes, dazed but excited by the treasure trove of data they’ve collected.

Humans have been observing solar eclipses for thousands of years, and we’ve learned some very interesting things. When the sun’s disc is covered by the moon, its faint corona becomes visible, making solar eclipses the perfect time to study the sun’s outer reaches. For example, scientists first discovered helium during a total solar eclipse. A solar eclipse is also a great time to observe the plumes of radiation and material emitted from the sun’s surface through the corona. The coronavirus itself is very strange, and there is still much to understand about how it works. Despite being far removed from the sun’s core fusion, the corona is millions of degrees hotter than the sun’s surface, and we still don’t know why.

Even if you haven’t studied the sun’s mysterious layers, it’s worth watching a total solar eclipse. More than 100 years ago, newspaper editors got it right. More or less, you will be confused.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Scientists are alarmed and puzzled by record-breaking ocean heat.

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Global sea surface temperatures have been breaking records every day for the past 12 months, causing concern among marine scientists.

Senior research scientist Brian McNoldy from the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School expressed worry about the unprecedented margins by which the records are being broken. He mentioned that the current average sea surface temperatures are approximately 1.25 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than they were from 1982 to 2011, as per the University of Maine’s climate reanalyzer, which could have significant impacts on the climate and ecosystem.

While human-induced climate change is considered a contributing factor, there are likely other natural climate processes at play as well. The rise in sea surface temperatures has puzzled scientists as they are unsure of the exact reasons behind it.

The warming ocean temperatures could lead to coral bleaching, stronger hurricanes, warmer coastal temperatures, and more extreme precipitation. Researchers have observed these effects in 2023, and they fear that if the trend continues, it could have severe consequences.

Some potential factors influencing the rise in sea surface temperatures include weakening trade winds in the North Atlantic and changes in shipping regulations limiting sulfur pollution, amongst others. Researchers are trying to understand the complex interplay of these factors leading to such unprecedented temperature increases.

The warmer ocean temperatures could fuel more powerful storms and hurricanes, putting coastal areas at risk. The Atlantic Ocean and the Horn of Africa, known for producing hurricanes hitting the East Coast of the United States, are experiencing significant anomalies in sea surface temperatures.

Overall, the rising sea surface temperatures pose a serious threat to marine ecosystems and climate stability. Scientists are working to unravel the mystery behind this phenomenon to better predict and mitigate its impacts.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Scientists puzzled by mysterious burst of intergalactic radio waves hitting Earth.

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It may be hard to miss, but unimaginably strong bursts of cosmic radiation happen possibly a thousand times every day. They are bright enough to overwhelm our radio telescopes from billions of light-years away.

However, fast radio bursts (FRBs) were not detected until 2007. Despite over a decade of investigation, they remain one of the most intriguing mysteries in astrophysics. Recent research offers new and promising clues about their origins, while also revealing why these space phenomena are so perplexing in the first place.

When FRBs were first discussed in seminars, the big question wasn’t “What astrophysical cause is causing this?” Instead, it was, “Isn’t this just a mechanical failure?”

FRBs last about 1 millisecond and spread out in frequency in a manner very similar to a blip from a pulsar. But the problem is, they don’t come from any known pulsars, they don’t repeat like pulsars, and they’re clearly much more powerful than any pulsar pulses we’ve seen before.

To make matters worse, for many years the only telescope that observed FRBs was the Parkes Observatory in Australia. The debate became even more heated when it turned out that some of the FRB-like bursts observed by Parkes did not come from astronomical sources.

These bursts, called “peritons,” were always suspected to be of terrestrial origin. But clever detective work by astronomers solved the case. Dr. Emily Petrov and her colleagues showed that Periton had a strong correlation with local lunchtime. In reality, radiation leaked from the observatory’s microwave when the door opened too early.

It was eventually revealed that the FRBs were indeed from far away in space. More radio telescopes were configured to record very short bursts of radio waves, and detection rates began to skyrocket.

Those bursts came from all over the sky, suggesting they didn’t originate in our galaxy. In the first decade after the discovery, theorists produced a huge number of papers explaining the possible origins of the bursts.

In 2012, repeated FRBs were discovered, ruling out origins requiring complete destruction, such as supernovae. It was soon discovered that there were many more repeated bursts, mostly occurring at irregular intervals.

As more outbursts are discovered, there is growing evidence that FRBs may be associated with extraordinarily powerful magnetars: neutron stars that rotate in extremely strong magnetic fields.

Recent evidence suggests that at least some FRBs originate from nearby spiral galaxies rather than elliptical galaxies.

Astronomers will need to continue collecting clues, looking for suggestive patterns in the data, and eagerly awaiting observational upgrades that will allow them to pinpoint the FRBs’ local environment.

Whatever the outcome, the fast radio burst is a great example of the fact that in science, when we look at the universe in new and different ways, we almost always discover something surprising that no one had ever thought to look for.

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Scientists are puzzled by the detection of ultra-high energy particles plummeting towards Earth, according to Science and Technology News.

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Astronomers have detected a rare and extremely energetic particle falling to Earth.

Scientists say the ray, named after the Japanese sun goddess Amaterasu, is one of the most energetic cosmic rays ever detected.

The Amaterasu particle has an energy of more than 240 exaelectron volts (EeV), making it the second particle in recorded history, after another ultra-high-energy cosmic ray, the Oh My God particle (320 EeV), detected in 1991.

The origins of the particles are unknown, but experts believe that only the most powerful astronomical phenomena, larger than an exploding star, can produce them.

Toshihiro Fujii, associate professor at Osaka Metropolitan University, Japansaid that when he first discovered this particle, he thought, “There must have been a mistake.”

“We’ve seen energy levels unprecedented in the last 30 years,” he said.

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The particle seems to come out of nowhere, further deepening the mystery for scientists.

John Matthews, a research professor in the University of Utah’s Department of Physics and Astronomy, explains that there was nothing in the area high-energy enough to cause this phenomenon.

It appeared to emerge from the Local Void, the empty space adjacent to the Milky Way.

“We should be able to point to where in the sky they came from,” Professor Matthews says.

“But in the case of the Oh My God particle and this new particle, even if we trace its trajectory back to its source, there is nothing high enough energy to produce it.

“That’s the mystery – what the hell is going on?”

Typically, when ultra-high-energy cosmic rays hit Earth’s atmosphere, they create a cascade of secondary particles and electromagnetic radiation known as a massive air shower.

Some charged particles in air showers travel faster than the speed of light and produce a type of electromagnetic radiation that can be detected with special equipment.

One of those instruments is the Telescope Array Observatory in Utah, which discovered the Amaterasu particle.

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Telescope Array Surface Detector in Utah.Photo: Associated Press

It is now hoped that this particle will pave the way for further research that will help uncover ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays and their origins.

Experts suggest this may indicate a much larger magnetic deflection than predicted, an unidentified source within the local void, or an incomplete understanding of high-energy particle physics.

Another Utah professor, John Beltz, said he was “throwing out crazy ideas” to try to explain the mystery.

“These events appear to be coming from completely different places in the sky. There is no one mysterious source,” he said. “It could be a flaw in the fabric of space-time, causing cosmic strings to collide.”

However, he added, “There is no conventional explanation.”

Source: news.sky.com