Scientists discover the Earth's inner core isn't solid or liquid. It's 'superionic.'

[Judi Lynn]

Gabriela Miranda, USA TODAY - Yesterday 1:08 PM

The structure of Earth's core could be unlike any other state of matter, researchers have found.

Yu He, a physicist at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and lead author of a study published this month in the journal Nature, said the calculations challenged what researchers once understood about the inner core.

He and his colleagues found the inner core creates a "superionic state" made up of hydrogen, oxygen and carbon. He said it's unlike any solid or liquid form.

"It is quite abnormal," He said in a statement to USA TODAY. "The solidification of iron at the inner core boundary does not change the mobility of these light elements, and the convection of light elements is continuous in the inner core."

More:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/scientists-discover-the-earths-inner-core-isnt-solid-or-liquid-its-superionic/ar-AATTc0x?li=BBnb7Kz

[TlalocW]

1. Scientists have called in Alanis Morissette

Oh. IONIC.

Never mind.

TlalocW

[ashredux]

2. Oh...that's a jagged little mistake

[Javaman]

3. I always wondered how long the "molten" core would last? nt

[cstanleytech]

4. With our planet a long time because of a number of factors one of them being the moon.