Earth's Core | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/earths-core/RSS feed for Earth's CoreenFri, 13 Feb 2026 16:52:39 +0000Earth's Core Might Hold Dozens of Oceans Worth of Hydrogen, Hinting at the Origins of the Planet's Vast Water Supplyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/earths-core-might-hold-dozens-of-oceans-worth-of-hydrogen-hinting-at-the-origins-of-the-planets-vast-water-supply-180988190/Scientists have long debated whether most of Earth's vital liquid was delivered via icy comets or was homemadeFri, 13 Feb 2026 16:52:39 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/earths-core-might-hold-dozens-of-oceans-worth-of-hydrogen-hinting-at-the-origins-of-the-planets-vast-water-supply-180988190/A Weak Spot in Earth's Magnetic Field Is Growing, but Scientists Say Not to Worry. Here's a Look at What Shields Us From Space Weatherhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/a-weak-spot-in-earths-magnetic-field-is-growing-but-scientists-say-not-to-worry-heres-a-look-at-what-shields-us-from-space-weather-180987800/Our planet’s magnetosphere has seen dramatic shifts across its history—even total reversals—but this recent wrinkle doesn’t pose a threat to lifeFri, 05 Dec 2025 16:23:04 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/a-weak-spot-in-earths-magnetic-field-is-growing-but-scientists-say-not-to-worry-heres-a-look-at-what-shields-us-from-space-weather-180987800/Earth's Inner Core Is Changing Shape, Study Finds, Indicating Even More Dynamic Shifts Deep Within Our Planethttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/earths-inner-core-is-changing-shape-study-finds-indicating-even-more-dynamic-shifts-deep-within-our-planet-180986038/Seismic wave data previously suggested the Earth’s hot inner core is slowing its spin. Now, researchers say it’s also deforming around the edgesWed, 12 Feb 2025 18:01:51 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/earths-inner-core-is-changing-shape-study-finds-indicating-even-more-dynamic-shifts-deep-within-our-planet-180986038/Earth's Magnetic North Pole Is Shifting Toward Siberia and Raising Questions About Unusual Movementhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/earths-magnetic-north-pole-is-shifting-toward-siberia-and-raising-questions-about-unusual-movement-180985892/Scientists released an update to a model that maps the ever-moving pole and has significant implications for navigation systemsFri, 24 Jan 2025 17:41:54 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/earths-magnetic-north-pole-is-shifting-toward-siberia-and-raising-questions-about-unusual-movement-180985892/Largest Diamond Since 1905 Unearthed by Miners in Botswanahttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/largest-diamond-since-1905-unearthed-by-miners-in-botswana-180984962/Volcanic eruptions long ago brought the 2,492-carat diamond—the latest in a string of stunning discoveries over the last decade—to the surfaceFri, 23 Aug 2024 20:22:06 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/largest-diamond-since-1905-unearthed-by-miners-in-botswana-180984962/Scientists Drill Deeper Into Earth's Mantle Than Ever Before, Probing for the Origin of Life on Earthhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-drill-deeper-into-earths-mantle-than-ever-before-probing-for-the-origin-of-life-on-earth-180984869/The record-setting rock samples will provide insight into the chemical processes that may have kick-started life on our planetMon, 12 Aug 2024 21:12:27 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-drill-deeper-into-earths-mantle-than-ever-before-probing-for-the-origin-of-life-on-earth-180984869/Earth's Inner Core May Be Slowing Its Spin, Another Study Suggestshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/earths-inner-core-may-be-slowing-its-spin-another-study-suggests-180984622/New research adds evidence to the controversial idea that the hot, solid ball at the center of our planet has been reducing its speed for years as part of an oscillating cycleMon, 01 Jul 2024 18:29:04 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/earths-inner-core-may-be-slowing-its-spin-another-study-suggests-180984622/Earth's Magnetic Field Nearly Collapsed 600 Million Years Ago. Then, Weird and Complex Life Evolvedhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/earths-magnetic-field-nearly-collapsed-600-million-years-ago-then-weird-and-complex-life-evolved-180984353/A new study suggests more solar radiation reached Earth while the magnetic field weakened, leading to a rise in oxygen that drove an explosion of multicellular organisms during the Ediacaran PeriodWed, 15 May 2024 15:01:31 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/earths-magnetic-field-nearly-collapsed-600-million-years-ago-then-weird-and-complex-life-evolved-180984353/Melting Polar Ice Sheets Are Slowing Earth's Rotation. That Could Change How We Keep Timehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/melting-polar-ice-sheets-are-slowing-earths-rotation-that-could-change-how-we-keep-time-180984046/As ice melts into water and flows toward the equator, it redistributes mass around the Earth, affecting the planet's spin, a new study findsFri, 29 Mar 2024 12:49:01 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/melting-polar-ice-sheets-are-slowing-earths-rotation-that-could-change-how-we-keep-time-180984046/Mars' Core May Be Smaller Than Thought, Wrapped in a Sea of Molten Rockhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/mars-core-may-be-smaller-than-thought-wrapped-in-a-sea-of-molten-rock-180983142/Based on seismic waves from a meteorite impact, two teams of scientists suggest the Red Planet has another layer deep beneath its surfaceFri, 27 Oct 2023 17:20:51 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/mars-core-may-be-smaller-than-thought-wrapped-in-a-sea-of-molten-rock-180983142/