Jakarta, Jurnas.com – Jauh di bawah permukaan Bumi, wilayah terdalam planet ini ternyata mungkin tidak sekaku yang selama puluhan tahun diasumsikan para ilmuwan.

Hasil eksperimen ‍laboratorium terbaru menunjukkan bahwa inti dalam⁤ Bumi bisa bersifat⁣ padat sekaligus memiliki unsur mobilitas halus, sebuah temuan yang mengubah cara kita memahami struktur terdalam planet ini.

Selama ini, model ⁤klasik menggambarkan inti dalam Bumi sebagai bola besi padat yang ⁤sangat kaku. Namun rekaman gempa bumi telah lama memberikan⁢ petunjuk aneh. Gelombang seismik tertentu memang menembus inti ⁢dalam, tetapi⁢ kecepatannya lebih lambat dari

Scientists Recreate Earth’s Core conditions, Confirming ‘Superionic’ iron Behaviour

A team of researchers at the Southern University of Science and technology (SCU) in Shenzhen, China, has successfully simulated the extreme pressures and temperatures of Earth’s inner core in a laboratory ⁤setting. their findings, published this week, provide the ⁢first⁢ direct experimental evidence supporting the theory that iron alloys⁤ within the core exist in a “superionic” state – a condition previously predicted only by computer ⁣simulations.

This superionic state allows lighter atoms, like carbon, to move freely within the rigidly structured iron lattice. Essentially,the iron remains solid,but the lighter elements behave almost like a liquid,softening the material without ‍causing it to melt.

“This superionic state drastically reduces the stiffness ‍of the alloy,” explained lead researcher‍ Dr.Yang Zhang.⁢ Experiments at SCU showed a 23%⁤ reduction in shear wave velocity,⁣ and a Poisson’s ratio – a key elasticity parameter – closely matching values observed in global seismic data.

The research marks ⁢the first time laboratory results have directly demonstrated that ⁤iron-carbon alloys under inner core conditions can exhibit the vrey low shear wave velocities detected by seismographs around the world.

However, the ⁣researchers acknowledge limitations. The ‍pressures achieved in the experiment – around 280 gigapascals – are still lower than the 330+ gigapascals found‍ in Earth’s actual inner core. Furthermore, the rapid compression process used in the ⁢lab may not perfectly replicate the ⁣long-term conditions at the planet’s center.

The experiment‍ also involved a relatively small ‍sample – approximately 1.5 milligrams of iron-carbon alloy ⁤- and focused on a specific carbon concentration. Future research will explore a wider range of compositions and pressures to refine the understanding of ‍the inner core’s complex behavior.

The findings offer valuable insights into the composition and dynamics of Earth’s deepest layers, potentially improving models of the planet’s magnetic field and overall evolution.

Key Findings:

• Researchers successfully simulated inner core conditions in a lab.
• Results support the existence of a “superionic” state in iron-carbon alloys.
• Shear wave ⁢velocity reduction of 23% was ⁢observed.
• Poisson’s ratio matched seismic data.

Source: Jurnas.com