The earth may appear calm from above, but there is constant movement inside it. Now a new research shows that our planet is not cooling down at the same rate on both sides. Especially the part under which the Pacific Ocean spreads is losing its temperature faster than the rest of the Earth.
The bottom layer of the ocean gets hotter.
When scientists looked at the long record of heat coming out from inside the Earth, a special thing came to light. The thin layer beneath the oceans is called oceanic crust. This layer keeps forming new, is thin and is surrounded by cold water from above. Due to these three reasons this part expels heat very easily.
On the other hand, the land part i.e. the continental crust is much thicker and older. It takes more time for heat to come out through a thick layer. This is the reason why the speed of heat release is different in both parts of the earth and this difference has become clearly visible over millions of years. Due to this, the movement of plates, activity of volcanoes and deep layers changes.
Scientists believe that the effect of rapid cooling of a part of the earth reaches the movement of the plates. Due to change in temperature, the direction of flow of the hot rocky layer inside the earth i.e. the mantle changes. This flow decides where the new crust will be formed, where the old crust will sink into the earth and where there will be more tectonic movement.
The part of the Pacific Ocean is also known as the Ring of Fire, because there are many volcanoes and earthquakes here. Researchers now believe that such activity in this area may also be related to this uneven cooling of the Earth. Scientists consider this discovery the key to understanding the past history of the Earth.
This is not just today’s movement. Scientists say that the key to how the Earth was formed, how it changed and how it will change in the future lies hidden in this flow of heat. The weather on the surface is created by the sun, sea and winds, but what happens inside determines the real structure of the earth.
Where does heat come from, where does it stop and what is its speed – by getting answers to these questions it becomes easier to understand the entire history of the Earth.
Will this cause any immediate change in weather or temperature on Earth?
The simple answer is- no. The cooling of the Earth’s interior is a very slow process. So slow that human history is nothing in comparison. This research only tells us how the Earth works from within, not that we are about to enter any sudden cold period.
Scientists say that the surface weather has no direct relation with the coldness inside the earth. The temperature here is determined by the sun, clouds, oceans and wind.
