Liquid Iron in Earth's Outer Core Can Behave in Surprising

Earth's molten iron core unexpectedly reversed direction beneath the Pacific, revealing a dramatic change in the hidden engine that creates our planet's magnetic field. Satellite data suggest the surge is already weakening, raising the possibility that the deep-Earth upheaval is part of a mysterious natural cycle. Liquid iron in Earth's outer core can behave in surprising ways.

Scientists discovered that a large flow of molten material deep beneath the Pacific Ocean changed direction for reasons that remain unclear. Data from ESA satellites helped researchers trace the shift and build a more detailed picture of what is happening near the center of the planet. Earth's molten outer core lies about 2200 km below the surface.

As this electrically conducting liquid iron moves, it helps generate the planet's geomagnetic field. For many years, scientists studying small variations in that field concluded that much of the outer core was flowing mainly westward. That pattern changed dramatically in 2010. Beneath the Pacific Ocean, a large region of molten material began moving strongly eastward instead of continuing its weaker westward flow.