The internal, infernal machinations of our planet may be way more complex than we suspected. A new, detailed probe of Earth's heart reveals that the rotating inner core doesn't just change in rotation ...

(CNN) — Deep inside Earth is a solid metal ball that rotates independently of our spinning planet, like a top whirling around inside a bigger top, shrouded in mystery. This inner core has intrigued ...

Earth’s inner core has long challenged researchers because seismic waves do not move through it uniformly. Compressional waves generated by earthquakes travel roughly 3 to 4 percent faster along Earth ...

Earth’s core consists of a solid iron-nickel ball rotating within a layer of liquid metal. But that ball may not be as simple as it seems: new research suggests the inner core contains its own inner ...

More than 5,000 kilometers beneath us, Earth’s solid metal inner core wasn’t discovered until 1936. Almost a century later, we’re still struggling to answer basic questions about when and how it first ...

There may be hidden layers to Earth’s core dictated by chemical composition. In A Nutshell Lab experiments suggest Earth’s inner core may have distinct chemical layers rather than being uniform iron, ...

Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Earth’s core is pretty dynamic. Its spin speeds up and slows ...

Some scientists think that Earth's inner core is actually made up of two similar but distinct layers. KATERYNA KON / SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY via Getty Images By studying seismic waves from earthquakes, ...

Earth's inner core is solid and blistering hot. For decades, scientists have known the inner core is solid thanks to the pioneering work of Danish seismologist Inge Lehmann, who first proposed its ...

"We might have volcanoes on the inner core boundary, for example, where solid and fluid are meeting and moving," he said. Because the spinning of the inner core affects movement in the outer core, ...