The rotation speed of the Earth's inner core has been observed to decrease in recent months. According to studies conducted by the Institute of Geology at the University of Southern California in the United States in 2024 and 2025, the inner core has not been rotating as fast as before since 2008 and has changed its direction to the east, slowing down two to three times compared to the mantle.

Axar.az reports that this was stated in an article published in the German journal "Geo".

The inner core organizes the movement of our planet's liquid core. The liquid core, consisting mainly of iron, forms the Earth's magnetic field through electric currents. This magnetic field, in turn, acts as an important indicator for the length of days, satellite navigation, and bird migration routes.

Gerd Steinle-Neumann, a geophysicist at the University of Bayreuth in Germany, noted that the inner core is gravitationally bound to the Earth and cannot completely stop. He explained that the rotation of the core, together with its influence on the liquid core, causes small changes over long periods, and these changes are manifested with minimal fluctuations over the course of days.

The scientists' research was based on seismic waves. Researchers in the United States, including geologist Wei Wang, measured the passage of waves generated during several earthquakes through the inner and liquid core and determined changes in the rotation speed of the core. It was noted that the inner core has been rapidly moving forward for many years, then rotating back, creating natural cycles. These cycles last about 20-70 years and are not yet fully understood.

It was also emphasized that the elastic, viscous properties of the inner core explain the variability of its rotation. In the short term, the core behaves like a solid, but in the long term, it behaves like an elastic mass. This causes the rotation rhythms to change over long periods. As a result, the slowing down of the inner core does not cause significant changes in the planet's magnetic field or daily life. Scientists note that these processes are observed with minimal changes in the geomagnetic field on the Earth's surface and do not affect the navigation of animals.

These studies provide important information about the internal structure of the Earth, the formation of the magnetic field, and geodynamic processes. Scientists believe that future studies will reveal in more detail the mechanism of movement of the inner core and will allow us to gain additional knowledge about the internal dynamics of our planet.

"We know more about the Sun than about the core. But one thing is certain: the Earth's core will not stand still," said Gerd Steinle-Neumann.