Dumb question: How do we know the Earths core is molten nickel etc, if we haven't dug that deep?
As asked. How do we know it is molten iron and nickel specifically?
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It’s a great question. I’m not a geologist, but my understanding is that there are P-waves and S-waves that travel through the Earth during earthquakes. These waves react differently to different kinds of materials they pass through. So by having very sensitive seismographs stationed all over the planet, they can look at the differences in the wave patterns from various georaphies and understand the nature of the materials the waves are passing through.
I’m sure there’s more to it than that.
We know the speed of traveling waves through different materials. Big earthquakes give us a window into what’s beneath. We also know roughly based on the EM field the earth generates. We think the core is Iron-nickel based but we are not 100% sure exactly what the composition is.
I have to go back and finish that video a lil later.
Is that how we also found out about other planets too ? Like how we know the gas giants are all gas and what they are made up of? Using probes and stuff to look at seismic waves and magnetic stuff?
@MakeItSo1701 Sorta kinda. Professional astronomers have made their livings studying these bodies.
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