Okay, perhaps you already knew that, but did you know that a new computer model of the moon show it is not solid all the way through, that its core is surrounded by a liquid layer, no not fondue, at least I don’t think so!
The team of researchers who recently published a paper in the journal Nature Geoscience suggest that this liquid layer is caused by friction which is due to Earth’s gravity. They didn’t just make it up – the data they are basing this on is data completed with team members made up of China, the US, and Japan. This team of researchers made up a new computer model of the Moon which showed it was not solid all the way through.
Scientists have for ages spent time trying to reflect in their models the anomalies occurring in measurements of the Moon’s orbit. The resulting models always seemed to miss the mark and produced results that were a tad off. However the idea that the core might be surrounded by liquid is not a new one. Gravitational readings taken on the moon indicate that rotation occurring at the core differs from other rotational measurements taken near the core.
The recent computer model took into account the gravity exerted by the Moon, the Earth, and the Sun. Once completed and set in motion, the model showed that a liquid layer covered the core giving their model the same gravitational effects as noted for the “real” Moon.
Interesting part? Seems the tug of Earth’s gravity causes tidal heating and that causes the material to react to the friction between it and the core and results in a liquid. AND you thought that the moon had an effect on us? Seems we have an effect on the Moon as well. Feel better?
So what’s the next step? More research. But that fact that the theory is supported by the evidence, and the fact that Earth is extremely interested in living there, means this is one mystery that I have no doubt will be solved soon.
A final thought. If they go the distance with this and prove the Moon has liquid around its core, that will have an effect on various theories describing everything from the Moon’s creation to questions about why didn’t it cool down, what with four and a half billion years to cool?
So if it is fondue, what kind of cheese do you think it is?
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