Scientists have seen what is happening inside the Earth

The experimental setup made it possible to observe processes that are usually hidden deep under the surface of our planet. We tell you what scientists have learned about the Earth and its magnetic field.

Physicists from the University of Coventry in Great Britain and the National Laboratory of Intense Magnetic Fields in France have studied how the Earth's magnetic field can affect the internal flows of the planet. The experiment was named "Little Earth", reported the Physis.org.

As part of the study, scientists built an experimental setup that simulated how the Earth's magnetic field can affect internal planetary flows. Based on the readings of their development, they explained the discrepancies between theoretical predictions and satellite observations of the Earth.

The inner core of the Earth is usually imagined as a hot ball of metal. The outer core, which is under the mantle, consists of colder liquid metal. As both cores rotate, an electric current is generated, which, in turn, leads to the generation of a magnetic field. According to scientists, the models that describe the currents inside the Earth usually do not include how they are affected by the magnetic field. Physicists wanted to understand this in more detail, so they built an apparatus that accurately imitates the internal mechanism of the planet.

The team described the device as a model of the Earth, which uses a tank partially filled with sulfuric acid and placed inside a strong magnetic field. A laser was used to measure the resulting flows. To create the strong magnetic field, the experts placed their device in a magnetic field created by a massive magnet inside the Strong Magnetic Field Laboratory in Grenoble, France. The device made it possible to place a large rotating tank inside an even larger magnetic field.

To better simulate real conditions, the researchers heated the tank from the center, and also gave the upper hemisphere a flat bottom and installed a tank filled with water on it. This complex structure was responsible for cooling. The final step was to add tiny glass particles to the liquid so that the laser could see and measure the dynamics of the process.

Scientists used the device to determine the direction of movement of liquids and their speed at two main points inside the tank. They found that their setup can be used to develop new theories that describe the movement of currents inside the Earth more accurately than has been done in the past.