Chapter 02 of 5
The Geodynamo Engine
How molten iron and the Coriolis effect generate a planetary magnet.
- Internal Engine
The Hidden Ocean
Beneath the rocky mantle lies the outer core, a 2,200-kilometer-deep sea of liquid iron and nickel.
- Extreme Conditions
Hellish Heat
Temperatures here reach 5,000°C, nearly as hot as the surface of the Sun, keeping the metal in a fluid state.
- Mechanism
Thermal Convection
Hotter, lighter liquid rises while cooler, denser liquid sinks, creating massive churning currents within the core.
17 more cards in this chapter
Could you answer this?
Which force is responsible for twisting the rising molten iron into spiral columns?
🧲 Geomagnetic Flips
- 01The Glitch in the ShieldWitness the modern wandering of the North Pole and the South Atlantic Anomaly.
- 02The Geodynamo EngineHow molten iron and the Coriolis effect generate a planetary magnet.
- 03Frozen in StoneUnlocking Earth's history through paleomagnetism and ancient lava.
- 04The Chaotic ReversalWhat happens to the magnetosphere during a full magnetic flip.
- 05The Fate of a Dead CoreWhy the churning heart is the only thing keeping us from becoming Mars.