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Scientists determined that the Earth's outer core is liquid primarily through the study of seismic waves generated by earthquakes. When these waves travel through the Earth, they behave differently depending on the state of the material they encounter. S-waves, which cannot travel through liquids, are absent in the outer core, indicating that it must be in a liquid state. Additionally, the behavior of P-waves, which can travel through both solids and liquids, further supports the conclusion that the outer core is liquid.

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4mo ago

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What is one way scientist know the outer core is liquid?

some kinds of seismic waves cannot travel through liquids, such as the outer core.


What is one way that scientists know the outer core is liquid?

Scientists know the outer core is liquid because S waves, which cannot travel through liquid, are not detected beyond the core. Additionally, seismic waves from earthquakes have shown that P waves slow down significantly when passing through the outer core, indicating it is a liquid layer.


How do you know earths outer core is liquid?

Volcanoes allow the molten lava from the outer core to pass through weak spots in the mantle.


How do we know the outer core is liquid?

seismic waves travel slowly trough


What is one way the scientists know the outer core is liquid?

some kinds of seismic waves cannot travel through liquids, such as the outer core.


How did scientist come to know that outer core is liquid?

Scientists determined that the Earth's outer core is liquid through the analysis of seismic waves generated by earthquakes. When these waves travel through the Earth, they behave differently depending on the state of the material they encounter. Primary waves (P-waves) can pass through both solid and liquid, while secondary waves (S-waves) cannot pass through liquids. The absence of S-waves in specific regions indicated that the outer core is liquid, as they did not travel through that part of the Earth.


How do you know the earth has a liquid outer core?

Seismic measurements and rheology. The outer core is so hot the iron and nickel there is liquid. The inner core is also as hot and just as liquid but the pressure in the inner core is so great it is solid. Some believe the inner core is a single iron crystal from earth's initial formation but there is no evidence to support that.


Does the liquid in the inner core or outer core flow in currents?

The inner core is solid, but the mantle is the only layer of Earth that flows in currents. These currents are caused by convection. If you don't know what convection is then you might as well look it up because I don't have a good definition.


Why are seismologist important?

They are important because they study p-waves and s-waves which now we know that the Outer Core is liquid


How did scientists come to know thet the outer core is liguid?

Scientists determined that the outer core is liquid primarily through the study of seismic waves generated by earthquakes. When these waves travel through the Earth, they behave differently in solid and liquid materials. Seismic S-waves, which can only move through solids, do not pass through the outer core, indicating that it must be liquid. Additionally, the behavior of P-waves, which can travel through both solids and liquids, slows down when they enter the outer core, further supporting the conclusion of a liquid state.


What is the outer core made of liquid or solid?

Melted iron and nickel alloy. It is too hot near the centre, so it is liquid. But if you want to know if the inner core is solid or liquid, then it is solid, because there is too much pressure from the rest of the Earth


For earth science what evidence do we have that earth's outer core is molten?

This knowledge is based on the behavior of seismic waves, particularly the behavior of P-waves and S-waves. S-waves are unable to travel through liquids, and this particular wave trait indicates a boundary between the solid mantle and the liquid outer core. As S-Waves do not propagate through the outer core a "shadow" zone is created on the other side of the earth from the source of seismic waves. In this zone no S-waves are detected. The boundary between the inner core and outer core is also detected by a difference in velocities of P-waves. The Earth's magnetic field also originates in the liquid outer core by the movement and currents of molten metal in this layer.