Crystal growth and movement in Earth's inner core (IMAGE)

University of California - Berkeley

Crystal growth and movement in Earth's inner core

Caption

A new model by UC Berkeley seismologists proposes that Earth's inner core grows faster on its east side (left) than on its west. Gravity equalizes the asymmetric growth by pushing iron crystals toward the north and south poles (arrows). This tends to align the long axis of iron crystals along the planet's rotation axis (dashed line), explaining the different travel times for seismic waves through the inner core.

Credit

Graphic by Marine Lasbleis

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