GEOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -However, unlike the outer core, the inner core is not liquid or even molten. The inner core’s intense pressure-the entire rest of the planet and its atmosphere-prevents the iron from melting. The pressure and density are simply too great for the iron atoms to move into a liquid state.

Detailed explanation-2: -Earth’s inner core is solid because it is under such intense pressure from the weight of the entire planet that its atoms are held together by force. By contrast, the outer layers of Earth, while being slightly cooler (but still incredibly hot), have less pressure and thus their atomic form reverts to liquid.

Detailed explanation-3: -Scientists believe that the inner core is the hottest layer of the Earth, that it is composed mostly of iron and nickel, and that although it is hot enough to be a liquid, it acts as a solid because of the immense amount of pressure on it.

Detailed explanation-4: -The pressure in the Earth’s inner core is slightly higher than it is at the boundary between the outer and inner cores: It ranges from about 330 to 360 gigapascals (3, 300, 000 to 3, 600, 000 atm).

Detailed explanation-5: -Recreating the environment found deep inside the Earth The deeper inside the Earth, the higher the pressure and temperature (Fig. 1). The Earth’s center has an ultrahigh pressure of 364 GPa and an ultrahigh temperature of 5, 500 °C.