Scientists have detected
Scientists have detected a completely new type of magnetic wave that surges through Earth's outer core every seven years
According to the researchers
, the existence of these waves could help explain mysterious fluctuations in the planet's magnetic field,
Satellite measurements of
the magnetic field taken over the last 20 years show that the field's strength dips every seven years or so
Nicolas Gillet, a researcher said
"Geophysicists have long theorized over the existence of such waves, but they were thought to take place over much longer time scales,"
Earth's outer core
is an orb of molten iron that churns and sloshes with constant motion.
The flow of this rotating wraps
around the planet and stretches for hundreds of thousands of miles into space, shielding Earth from harmful radiation.
The planet's
magnetic field is always changing, both on short- and long-term time scales.