Earth's Core

Earth's core is the very hot center of our planet.

Description
The Earth has three major layers. All known life exists on the solid outer layer, called the crust. Beneath the crust is the mantle, a gooey, hot layer of magma and other semi-solid rocks and minerals. Movement in the mantle leads to tectonic activity, such as volcanic eruptions and earthquakes, on the crust.

The core, beneath the mantle, is the deepest and hottest layer of the Earth. It is made almost entirely of metal. The core is made of two layers: the outer core, which borders the mantle, and the inner core. The inner core is shaped like a ball.

Scientists say the outer core is made mostly of iron and nickel. Iron and nickel are two important metals found everywhere on the planet. (On the surface of the Earth, these metals are found in solid form.) Iron and nickel in the outer core form an alloy, or a mixture of metallic elements. The outer core is approximately 2,300 kilometers (1,430 miles) thick. The alloy of the outer core is very hot, between 4,000 and 5,000 degrees Celsius (7,200 and 9,000 degrees Fahrenheit).

The inner core is made mostly of iron. It is approximately 1,200 kilometers (750 miles) thick. Although the iron is extremely hot—between 5,000 and 7,000 degrees Celsius (9,000 and 13,000 degrees Fahrenheit)—the pressure from the rest of the planet is so great that the iron cannot melt. For this reason, the inner core is mostly solid.

Because the Earth has a ball of metal in the middle of it, the entire planet is magnetic. Scientists believe the liquid outer core is what controls the Earth’s magnetic field. The magnetic field acts almost like a bubble. It protects the planet from charged particles floating around in the solar system, such as those from the sun. The magnetic North and South Poles are opposing sides of Earth’s big magnet.

The hard, metallic material in the core is balled up in the center of the Earth because it's the heaviest material on the planet. When Earth was formed about 4.5 billion years ago, all the heavier substances sank toward the middle. The lighter and less dense material, such as air and water, stayed closer to the crust.

Inside the core, the metals are constantly moving. The core of the Earth rotates regularly. Some scientists say the inner core actually rotates faster than the rest of the planet! As the liquid outer core moves, it can change the location of the magnetic North and South Poles.

FernGully: The Last Rainforest
Hexxus, the spirit of destruction, came from the core of the Earth when the balance of nature shifted.

DuckTales
In "Launchpad's First Crash", Scrooge and Launchpad nearly fall into the Earth's molten core while locating the Lost City of Diamonds. In DuckTales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp, Scrooge acts curmudgeonly, threatening to send the lamp to the deepest point in the center of the Earth, but instead uses his final wish to give Gene freedom by transforming him into a real boy.

The Brave Little Toaster trilogy
In The Brave Little Toaster Goes to Mars, Scrooge proved that the Wonder Luxe Appliances failed to destroy the planet Earth due to The Missile was a prototype. Unfortunately, Glomgold and Magica revealed that the Earth's weak spot was its core, reachable only through a volcano.