New magnetic waves have been found in the Earth's core. Every seven years they distort the field of the planet

Scientists have discovered a completely new type of magnetic waves that pass through the Earth's outer core every

seven years, distorting the strength of the planet's magnetic field. The results of the study are published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Waves that move along the Earth's rotation axisin accordance with the Coriolis effect, they move from east to west and can travel up to 1,500 km per year. Using a constellation of European Space Agency (ESA) satellites, the authors of a new study have detected mysterious waves in the outermost layer of the planet's liquid outer core. Right where this layer meets the rocky mantle, 2,900 km below the Earth's surface.

The source of these waves remains a mystery, butthey are likely related to "disturbances deep within the Earth's outer core," explains study lead author Nicolas Gillet, a researcher at the University of Grenoble-Alpes in France.

Wave-related changes in the magnetic field were strongest near the Earth's equator. Image courtesy of the University of Grenoble-Alpes

According to researchers, the existence of thesewaves will explain the mysterious fluctuations in the planet’s magnetic field, which are generated by the movement of liquid iron in the Earth’s outer core. Satellite measurements of the magnetic field over the last 20 years show that its strength drops every seven years. This exactly coincides with the oscillations of the newly discovered waves.

“Geophysicists have long been interested in theoryabout the existence of such waves, but they were thought to exist on longer time scales, the scientists explain. “Our work suggests that there are likely other similar waves, perhaps with longer periods.” But additional research is needed to discover them.”

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