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The inner core of the Earth may be melting


Karlis

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Earth's inner core is a ball of solid iron about 1,500 miles wide, surrounded by an outer core made up mostly of liquid iron-nickel alloy, topping it off, a solid crust that forms the surface of the planet.It appears that there are regions where the core is actually melting. arrow3.gifRead more...
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I was under the impression that it was already molten. :mellow:

Exactly.

How can that which is molten, which is liquid, melt?

Unless we're talking about a core of...

Dolomite, baby.

Edited by Skeptic Chicken
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How can that which is molten, which is liquid, melt?

From the article:

The Earth's inner core is a ball of solid iron about 1,500 miles wide, about the same size as the moon. This ball is surrounded by an outer core made up mostly of liquid iron-nickel alloy, ... "The standard view has been that the inner core is freezing all over and growing out progressively, but it appears that there are regions where the core is actually melting," ...

... At times, the nature of the mantle is enough to force heat from the mantle back onto the core, leading to melting in places. "Only a small fraction of the inner core's surface may be melting at any given time," researcher Jon Mound, a geophysicist at the University of Leeds, told OurAmazingPlanet. "However, given the size of the inner core, even if only 1 percent of the surface is melting, which is certainly possible, that corresponds to just under 200,000 square kilometers (77,000 square miles)."...

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Well a solid core surrounded by molten liquid isn't exactly going to hold up all the time. I've always wondered how the inner core doesn't melt completely.

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Well a solid core surrounded by molten liquid isn't exactly going to hold up all the time. I've always wondered how the inner core doesn't melt completely.

The inner most core is under such pressure, though hot, remains solid. The outer core surrounds the inner and moves around it which helps pump Earth's magnetosphere (like a big Faraday engine). There is also the asthenosphere between the outer core and the crust which remains malleable. The inner core actually reverting to a more liquid form is most certainly unlikely given the severe pressures at such depths. We would have to blow off a lot...and I mean a lot of mass above the core to expose it enough to melt!. Just my thoughts on the matter.

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what is the worst that could happen? It's not like the world will end or anything...

:ph34r: *runs off before being pegged with fruit*

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Any estimates of how long it will last?

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Is that news gonna make us pay more taxes??? After the Carbon Tax, will we be hit by the Heat Evasion Tax???? :innocent:

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Any estimates of how long it will last?

At least till May 21st of this year. :tu:
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The inner most core is under such pressure, though hot, remains solid. The outer core surrounds the inner and moves around it which helps pump Earth's magnetosphere (like a big Faraday engine). There is also the asthenosphere between the outer core and the crust which remains malleable. The inner core actually reverting to a more liquid form is most certainly unlikely given the severe pressures at such depths. We would have to blow off a lot...and I mean a lot of mass above the core to expose it enough to melt!. Just my thoughts on the matter.

or as stated, raise the temp. enough to make it melt. if you cant releave pressure then you have to increase temp to get the same results.

for instance water on earth melts at 32 degrees. on mars at that temp it sublimes. (sorry i messpelt that word) ie goes to vaper like co2 does.

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At least till May 21st of this year. :tu:

LOL!

I was also under the impression the center was molten too. Now I'm picturing one biblical sized, greased up, ball bearing.

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:lol:

I haven't read the article, but it looks like the events of 2012 are a real possibility due to events on the surface.

What a huge win this will be for the climate change crew! "Listen to us or the earth will split in two!... Now give us your taxes, so we can... well...? Get rich! Yeah! that sounds good! Someone might as well!"

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or as stated, raise the temp. enough to make it melt. if you cant releave pressure then you have to increase temp to get the same results.

for instance water on earth melts at 32 degrees. on mars at that temp it sublimes. (sorry i messpelt that word) ie goes to vaper like co2 does.

Correct Danielost, and we are going to get that additional tidal friction from where? We can't very well go down there and hold a blow torch on it and it is gonna take a lot more than solar activity, so I am just not seeing how this is relevant. There is a zone between inner and outer core which is neither solid nor liquid, at least that is what I have learned over the years. Without a major protuberance though, say from the additional tugging of a rogue planet (Nibiru?) I do not see where the additional tidal friction is gonna come from. It is really the only way I see for the core to "heat up".

Edited by Cosmic2012
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LOL!

I was also under the impression the center was molten too. Now I'm picturing one biblical sized, greased up, ball bearing.

Good way of putting it (I am not going to retype that name). That is exactly what it is:) I will use that in the future. Thanks!

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Is that news gonna make us pay more taxes??? After the Carbon Tax, will we be hit by the Heat Evasion Tax???? :innocent:

You bet your sweet...arms...someone will take advantage of news like this to charge us something. Add that to the possible upcoming "miles driven tax" they are proposing since we now have more fuel efficient cars.

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Correct Danielost, and we are going to get that additional tidal friction from where? We can't very well go down there and hold a blow torch on it and it is gonna take a lot more than solar activity, so I am just not seeing how this is relevant. There is a zone between inner and outer core which is neither solid nor liquid, at least that is what I have learned over the years. Without a major protuberance though, say from the additional tugging of a rogue planet (Nibiru?) I do not see where the additional tidal friction is gonna come from. It is really the only way I see for the core to "heat up".

in this case their saying it is reflected heat.

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You bet your sweet...arms...someone will take advantage of news like this to charge us something. Add that to the possible upcoming "miles driven tax" they are proposing since we now have more fuel efficient cars.

Miles driven tax??? wow I knew US was taxing bio-diesel since they couldn't tax it but I haven't heard of that what... hope it's gonna be a whisper.. in France even the air we breathe is gonna be taxed soon.

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in this case their saying it is reflected heat.

Yes I see that. Do you see where this news article originates? This is speculative science at its worst. This is a scare tactic thats all it is. I have a feeling this will either disappear from our inquiring minds radar or they will capitalize and find a way to profit. I do not see reflectivity putting a halt on natural convection processes. Sure we might see warmer oceans and have some minor variances in the hot and not so hot zones, but this will not cause any major problems (we'll see those fluctuations regardless). This has to be a major upset in the balance not just a bit of heat reflecting back toward the core. I would say whomever decided to go public with this kind of statement before having all of the facts is 1. a danger to society, 2. a speculative ****, 3. a spokesman for the new core cooling company being established in New York (no I do not know if such a company exists.

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Miles driven tax??? wow I knew US was taxing bio-diesel since they couldn't tax it but I haven't heard of that what... hope it's gonna be a whisper.. in France even the air we breathe is gonna be taxed soon.

I wish I could tell you more Paracelse, that is just what I have heard recently. I have wondering about the "oxygen tax". I have always joked about that, but I bet it will happen in places if not all over. This is starting to stray off topic. I apologize. Back to the discussion at hand. Seriously I do not think we are facing a problem with the core melting. Just don't see it happening anytime soon. I did just read a post on another site that describes the core as more or less a brown dwarf star. It has certain characteristics of a brown dwarf, but I do not know of any solid iron brown dwarf stars. I see all of this as mere speculation and bad science.

Edited by Cosmic2012
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We don't....infact the evidence available would make that an impossibility due to the temperatures involved.

Other than the earths orbit of the sun changing..it will always be a molten core.

People here are often so naive and gullible that its quite scary.

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Yes I see that. Do you see where this news article originates? This is speculative science at its worst. This is a scare tactic thats all it is. I have a feeling this will either disappear from our inquiring minds radar or they will capitalize and find a way to profit. I do not see reflectivity putting a halt on natural convection processes. Sure we might see warmer oceans and have some minor variances in the hot and not so hot zones, but this will not cause any major problems (we'll see those fluctuations regardless). This has to be a major upset in the balance not just a bit of heat reflecting back toward the core. I would say whomever decided to go public with this kind of statement before having all of the facts is 1. a danger to society, 2. a speculative ****, 3. a spokesman for the new core cooling company being established in New York (no I do not know if such a company exists.

i havent read the article, just commenting on the comments. but i dont see this as anything more than just info.

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The meting point of Iron is 1536C It boils at 2862C

The centre of the earth is estimated to be in excess of 6000c

The problem is overzealous scientists have for eternity made extraodinary claims that they hope to prove for career reasons..thats how it works.

You don't think that that biologist squishing sponges 24/7 for 20 years is doing it as he loves sponges do you ?

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