London: Scientists have identified a rare geological shift near the boundary between Earth’s core and mantle after satellite data revealed an unexplained change in the planet’s gravitational field.
The change, which occurred between 2006 and 2008, was detected only recently during an analysis of data from a pair of satellites that once measured variations in Earth’s gravity. Researchers believe the shift may have been triggered when the structure of some rocks near the boundary between Earth’s core and mantle transformed, becoming denser
The findings, published in Geophysical Research Letters, could help explain connections between Earth’s various layers, which influence earthquakes, the planet’s magnetic field, among others.
The discovery was detected using data from a pair of US-German satellites known as the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE), which orbited Earth between 2002 and 2017. The twin satellites flew in tandem, measuring changes in distance between them caused by variations in Earth’s gravity field. (ANI)
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