WORLD - What’s at the Center of Earth?
Geoscientists first suggested that the Earth’s core might have an additional, imperceptible layer about 20 years ago, according to a news release. Now, using new data sets collected by measuring the seismic waves of earthquakes as they passed through the Earth’s center, researchers have finally detected that innermost core, the new study said.
“In this study, for the first time, we report observations of seismic waves originating from powerful earthquakes traveling back and forth from one side of the globe to the other up to five times like a ricochet,” study coauthor Dr. Thanh-Son Phạm, a seismologist and postdoctoral fellow at the Research School of Earth Sciences at the Australian National University in Canberra, in an email.
When it came to assessing the Earth’s core, researchers looked at how fast seismic waves traveled through it in different directions, and they found the innermost inner core changed the speed of those waves in a different way than the layer above it, the center core’s outer shell.
The new finding also “gives us a glimpse of what might have happened with other planets,” Pham said. “Take Mars as an example. We don’t understand yet why (Mars’ magnetic field) ceased to exist in the past.”
-www.cnn.com, 21 February 2023
Arno's Commentary
Wikipedia reveals: “In terms of depth below the surface, the Kola Superdeep Borehole SG-3 retains the world record at 12,262 meters (40,230 ft) reached in 1989 and is still the deepest artificial point on Earth.” Sounds impressive, but when compared to the earth’s diameter of 12,756 km (7,917.5 mi.), it’s barely scratching the very surface of the earth.
Doubtless, as time goes by, there will be more discoveries. Where will it lead? In plain words, nowhere. Finding out what lies at the very center of the earth is just as impossible as the much acclaimed and admired space research program. From the eight planets in our solar system, Mercury is closest, and it is some 38 million miles from earth. It is estimated that the temperature during the day on Mercury is 430° C (806 F), and the nighttime temperature is -180° C (-292 F). Anyone game to visit?
Our interest lies in the reason man seeks the unknown. It is simply his refusal to accept the Genesis record. Before man discovered the earth was round, Job declared more than 3,500 years ago: “He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing” (Job 26:7). Chapter 28:28 concludes: “And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.”
Arno Froese is the executive director of Midnight Call Ministries and editor-in-chief of the acclaimed prophetic magazines Midnight Call and News From Israel. He has authored a number of well-received books, and has sponsored many prophecy conferences in the U.S., Canada, and Israel. His extensive travels have contributed to his keen insight into Bible prophecy, as he sees it from an international perspective.
