Scientists have discovered a large flow of liquid iron deep inside the Earth that has unexpectedly changed direction. This flow is located in the outer core, about 2,200 kilometers below the surface, and is made of molten iron. It is important because it creates Earth's magnetic field, which protects us from the Sun's harmful solar wind.
For a long time, scientists thought this flow mainly moved westward. However, a new study shows that a significant part of this flow, located under the Pacific Ocean, suddenly started moving eastward around 2010. This change was a surprise and has made researchers rethink how the Earth's interior works. They now understand that the outer core can change dramatically much faster than they believed.
The researchers used data from satellites like Germany's CHAMP, Denmark's Ørsted, and the European Space Agency's CryoSat and Swarm missions. The Swarm mission, with its three synchronized satellites, was particularly useful for measuring the magnetic field accurately. By analyzing this data from 1997 to 2025, scientists observed these rapid changes in the liquid iron flow.
This eastward flow also seemed to be connected to changes in the solid inner core and even affected Earth's rotation for a few years. Scientists are still trying to understand why this happened and if it is a temporary event or a permanent change. This discovery shows that the Earth's core is more dynamic and complex than previously thought.