Earth's Inner Core Rotation Slower Than Estimated 223
intellitech writes "Scientists at the University of Cambridge believe they have achieved the first accurate estimate of how much faster Earth's core is rotating compared to the rest of the planet. The rate — about one degree every million years — is much slower than previously thought and arises from the complex dynamic between Earth's inner and outer core, which generates Earth's geomagnetic field. Without our magnetic field, Earth's surface would not be protected from charged particles spewing from the Sun, and life would not be able to exist."
oh GAWD NO! (Score:4, Funny)
Previous attempts to measure the rotation (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Or ... (Score:5, Funny)
You mean... "God would have created us in such a manner or in a location so as to tolerate the particle flux. In the ocean, for example." Right?
mmmmmm, bacon.... (Score:5, Funny)
I've always wondered what god tastes like...
bacon, obviously
Consequences (Score:0, Funny)
Tapping geothermal energy slowly cools the liquid rock in the outer core. As it solidifies over time, this will eventually have the effect of bringing the rotation rate between the inner/outer core closer together in speed. That, then, could have disasterous consequences for us.
I would expect, however, that the waste-heat exhaust into our atmosphere would cause over-time climate change that would have equally disasterous consequences even sooner. That problem is moot though because the earth is absorbing heat from the sun far faster than it is radiating heat, which will continually cause climate change, and there isn't much we can do about that.
Re:oh GAWD NO! (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Life is more robust than that... (Score:3, Funny)
Yes, Earth's rotating inner hardcore.