Earth is fortunate in having a magnetic field: it protects the planet and its life from harmful cosmic radiation. Other planets in our solar system—such as Mars—are constantly bombarded by charged ...

Geophysicists from ETH Zurich and SUSTech, China, have demonstrated the dynamo effect of the Earth’s core in a model in which viscosity has no influence, as is the correct physical regime for the ...

Scientists have long known that Earth's core is mostly made of iron, but the density is not high enough for it to be pure iron, meaning lighter elements exist in the core, as well. In particular, it's ...

Beneath roughly 5,150 kilometers of rock, liquid metal, and extreme pressure, Earth’s solid inner core sits at temperatures ...

The composition of Earth’s core is crucial to understanding several fundamental processes of its evolution, including the early core-mantle differentiation 1,2, inner core crystallization and growth 3 ...

New research reveals that Earth’s solid inner core is actually in a superionic state, where carbon atoms flow freely through a solid iron lattice. This unusual behavior makes the core soft, matching ...

Earth cross section showing the classic distinction between crust, mantle and core. But new research shows Earth's structure is far more complicated and may change over time. Analyzing an unusual ...

More than 5,500 exoplanets have now been discovered, among which smaller planets seem to be the rule rather than the exception 1. Indeed, many rocky planets have been discovered which we are now ...

Sign up for CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more. Gold and other ...

Deep beneath the Pacific near the equator, Earth’s outer core now flows east instead of west. Dynamics deeper within our planet’s core may help explain the change and what to expect in the near future ...