Take a Journey to the Center of the Earth
Shortpedia
Content Team
Earth, the blue planet or the planet that is only known to sustain life, is in itself a big mystery. Being the only planet to sustain life and have human beings all around, Earth is the only planet about which we know the most. Human beings have traveled the whole world, conquered the lands, flown to the air, and even dived to the ocean's deep trenches. But what about the core of the Earth? Have anyone reached the center of the Earth? We have gone to space and even landed on the moon but never to the Earth’s center. But isn’t this great to know at least something about the center of the Earth even if we cannot manage to reach there?
SO, LET’S GO ON TO A JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH WITH THIS BLOG. ARE YOU EXCITED ENOUGH? IF YES! THEN KEEP SCROLLING AND ENJOY THIS JOURNEY……
The center of the Earth is about 6,000 kilometers down. Also, the outermost part of the Earth’s core is 3,000 kilometers deep from our feet. However, the deepest hole that we have created to reach the center of the Earth is in Russia and is known as Kola Superdeep Borehole. Even this deepest hole goes down a pitiful 12.3 kilometers, which is quite less than the actual depth of the center of the Earth. Even the lava that erupts from the volcanoes first melts just a few hundred kilometers down. Also, the diamonds that need extreme pressure and heat originate even less than 500 kilometers deep inside the Earth. However, scientists have suggested and prepared some of the theories about the center of the Earth. Let’s have a look at those theories to make our journey to the center of the Earth even more interesting and exciting!
MOST OF THE EARTH’S MASS MUST BE LOCATED AT THE CENTER OF THE EARTH
According to a professor at the University of Cambridge, Simon Redfern suggested that we can estimate the mass of the Earth by observing the effect of the gravitational force on the objects present on the surface of the Earth. So, it was found that the mass of the Earth is about 59 sextillion, i.e., 59, followed by 20 zeroes. By this, Simon concluded that the density of the material at the surface of the Earth is much lower than the density of the whole Earth. So, this tells us that there is something much denser inside the core of the Earth.
Then, it was concluded that the Earth’s mass must be located towards the center of the Earth. This conclusion has been made by the fact that there is the presence of iron ore in our Earth is abundant. And also, it is thought that the center of the Earth is made up of 80% of iron. Though, this fact is still an issue of debate.
IT TURNED OUT THAT ROCKS BECAME LIQUID AROUND 3000 KILOMETRES DOWN
It is also said that the rocks inside the Earth have become liquid due to the S- waves. S-waves are the only waves that reverberate through solid materials and can’t make it through the liquid. This resulted in the guess you can say that there is something in the molten state present at the center of the Earth. The paths of the S-waves have been traced and mapped that gave the result that there is a liquid around 3000 kilometers deep inside the Earth. And this liquid is nothing but melted rocks. However, in 1930, Inge Lehmann noticed another kind of wave, i.e., P-waves, that unexpectedly traveled through the center of the Earth and could be detected on the other side of the planet. This theory comes up with the discovery that the core of the Earth can be divided into two cores: the inner core and the outer core. Hence, it has been concluded that the inner core, which begins about 5,000 kilometers down the Earth, is actually solid, and the core above it, i.e., the outer core is molten.
THE CENTER OF THE EARTH STAYS WARM
Another theory or belief related to the center of the Earth is that the Earth's center stays warm. As per the researchers, in 2013, they produced the best estimate to date. They subjected pure iron to the pressures a little over half at the center or core of the Earth. Then they concluded that the melting point of the iron at the core or center of the Earth is around 6,230 degrees centigrade. The presence of other materials at the core or center of the Earth would bring the melting point of the center or core of the Earth a bit somewhere around 6,000 degrees centigrade. But that is still as hot as the surface of the sun.
THE EARTH IS HOLLOW
The hollow earth theory tells us that the Earth is hollow or it contains a substantial interior space. The theory was suggested by Edmond Halley in the late 17th century. The theory was then disapproved by many. However, in the mid 19th century, this theory was occasionally defended by John Cleves Symmes Jr. and Jeremiah N. Reynolds. But the picture of the Earth’s structure that has been arrived at by the seismic waves is very different from that of the hollow Earth’s concept. The time taken by the seismic waves to travel inside the Earth itself contradicts the theory that the Earth is hollow. This shows that there is something present in the center of the Earth.
THERE IS AN ECOSYSTEM INSIDE THE EARTH
Scientists have also estimated the presence of an ecosystem deep inside the Earth. Some studies reveal that there is even a larger ecosystem under our feet. Besides, no light, extreme heat and pressure, and minuscule nutrition scientists have estimated a subterranean biosphere inside the Earth. The researchers at the Deep Carbon Observatory say that the diversity of organisms inside the Earth bears a competition to the Amazon. The researchers' team comprises 12,000 scientists from 52 countries and has studied and researched for about 10 years. The samples were taken from the boreholes more than 5 kilometers deep. The study shows that the biosphere inside the Earth contains around 15bn and 23bn tonnes of microorganisms, a hundred times the combined weight of every human on the planet.
These were some of the theories that have been suggested by the scientists and researchers that give us some idea about the center of the Earth. However, nobody has actually seen how the center of the Earth looks or what the center of the Earth is made up of? But these theories definitely give us a glimpse of the center of the Earth by taking on a journey to the center of the Earth through the theories and studies. So, how was the journey?