It’s almost science fiction
- Details
- Written by: Mindy Weisberger, CNN
- Category: Geo-Thermal
- Hits: 123
‘It’s almost science fiction’: Scientists say the shape of Earth’s inner core is changing
By Mindy Weisberger, CNN Mon February 10, 2025CNN Science Original CNN Science Article
Link to Research in Nature AND Associated Research Link to Associated Research
""Abstract
The inner core has been inferred to change its rotation rate or shape over years to decades since the discovery of temporal variability in seismic waves from repeating earthquakes that travelled through the inner core. Recent work confirmed that the inner core rotated faster and then slower than the rest of Earth in the last few decades; this work analysed inner-core-traversing (PKIKP) seismic waves recorded by the Eielson (ILAR) and Yellowknife (YKA) arrays in northern North America from 121 repeating earthquake pairs between 1991 and 2023 in the South Sandwich Islands. Here we extend this set of repeating earthquakes and compare pairs at times when the inner core re-occupied the same position, revealing non-rotational changes at YKA but not ILAR between 2004 and 2008. We propose that these changes originate in the shallow inner core, and so affect the inner-core-grazing YKA ray paths more than the deeper-bottoming ray paths to ILAR. We thus resolve the long-standing debate on whether temporal variability in PKIKP waves results from rotation or more local action near the inner-core boundary: it is tentatively both. The changes near the inner-core boundary most likely result from viscous deformation driven by coupling between boundary topography and mantle density anomalies or traction on the inner core from outer-core convection.""
CNN Science Article —
Scientists who just months ago confirmed that Earth’s inner core recently reversed its spin have a new revelation about our planet’s deepest secrets — they identified changes to the inner core’s shape. Earth’s innermost layer is a hot, solid ball of metal surrounded by a liquid metal outer core. For decades, planetary scientists suspected that the solid inner core deformed over time as it spun. Now, researchers have found the first evidence of changes taking place over the past 20 years in the shape of the inner core.
Signs of the core’s deformation appeared in waves from earthquakes that were strong enough to reach Earth’s centre. The research team used that same earthquake data for a 2024 study to resolve a longstanding debate over the inner core’s rotation. They found that the inner core once spun faster than Earth itself. But beginning around 2010, the solid inner core’s spin slowed. It’s now revolving backward, relative to the rest of the planet.
Heat Networks UK
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- Written by: Dept of Energy - UK and J C Burke
- Category: Heat Networks
- Hits: 921
Improving and decarbonising1 networks
{cannot accept the myth of CO2 causing climate "emergency" or any other effects - therefore "decarbonising" is a misnomer}
Through the Green Heat Network Fund, the UK Government, has announced 28 funding awards totalling over £348m.
Projects supported by the Fund include a major new network in North-West London which will take waste heat from data centres and supply it to 10,000 new homes and 250,000m2 of commercial space.
In November the remaining Heat Networks Investment Project awards were announced.
Totalling £9.8m;
- London Borough of Islington (£678k) for an extension to the council's Bunhill network,
- Gateshead Council (£2.9m) for further connections to their Gateshead District Energy Scheme and
- E.ON (£6.3m) for their innovative Silvertown network in London's Docklands.
Through the Heat Network Efficiency Scheme (HNES) the government awarded over £34m to 230 projects over six funding rounds.
They have now launched the HNTAS pilot programme to test the scheme rules on live projects, ensuring HNTAS works in practice and aligns with industry needs, as well as the heat training grant, which provides those working in heat networks with up to £500 towards the cost of heat network training.
Decentralised Solar vs Centralised Solar
...Equally applies to wind, hydro as well
From the US they have noticed the problems with Industrial scale Renewables, the Grid and Instability.
"As the U.S. begins a major push to become the leading player in the global solar revolution, the topic of sprawling solar farms built away from communities vs. small and medium scale solar arrays utilising rooftops and smaller parcels of already developed or degraded land is becoming an increasingly important issue."
"Small and medium scale solar power has the potential to become the Internet of distributed electricity generation – a network resilient to a single point of failure; whether caused by natural disasters or attack by hostile parties."
But this aspect only scratches the surface – decentralised solar {as well as Wind and Hydro} power offers a multitude of other benefits over large scale plants;
- including avoiding “line loss” and heat losses from transformers, associated with remote generation,
- reduction in infrastructure investment {GRID}
- while offering major permanent job creation potential and
- avoiding damage to wildlife habitats, loss of farmlands.
Instead of appropriating undisturbed public lands or utilising productive agricultural land for solar power generation on a massive scale, better use can be made of the very much under-utilised sea of rooftops in our towns and cities. Furthermore, in the UK the brownfield sites, commercial buildings within ctown/city centres offers direct in-building benefits.
Cold Feet about Nett Zero (2)
Our article entitled "Net Zero they do not have a Clue" has garnered a big responce, we penned it on 22nd June 2023 with a big section devoted to the Parliamentary debate covered by Hansard.
The image shown is part of the problem: 8 cooling Towers sending 65-70% of the Heat Energy in a Centralised Electricity Generating plant up into the sky! This cannot continue - Generation INEFFICIENCY is a major issue with the Centralised Power Network, both in the UK and other nations. It is too inefficient - so those EV vehicles getting their {electrical} charge from the 'mains' are just "importing" their waste.
But now Reuters reports, of news from Shell and BP, tends to indicate serious reservations - and thus COLD FEET!! Litterally!
See the Reuters Report in Full below: Web Linkage: https://1.reutersevents.com/LP=36061,
""Net zero and hydrocarbons – a case of and, not or""
""Media reports that Shell is taking an axe to jobs in its low-carbon solutions and hydrocarbon units -- Reuters reporting in October that around 15% of the Anglo-Dutch supermajor’s workforce would be cut -- have reinforced concerns that the industry’s commitment to net zero may be eroding in a high commodity price climate.
According to the reports, 200 jobs will go in 2024, with another 130 will be placed under review by the company.
The news represents a potential challenge for a company whose low-carbon division was intended to spearhead a transition to clean energy.
But it is not alone. BP – the first oil major to set a course to net zero back in 2020 – has also faced criticism from environmental activists over a scaling back of ambitious emission reduction targets. Climate-focused investors reacted negatively to BP’s February 2023 announcement that it would aim for a 20-30% cut to emission by 2030, compared to 35% previously.
Hydro-Carbons vs Fossil Fuels 2
- Details
- Written by: Coordinated - J C Burke, Sourced JPL/NASA and Nature
- Category: CHP
- Hits: 670
Titan's Surface Organics Surpass Oil Reserves on Earth
Don't take our word so this statement, check out JPL/NASA {Jet Propulsion Laboratory, since 13th Feb 2008!} LINK HERE
After reading this we have to ask the question: What is a Fossil Fuel? Or should we investigate the Abiotic Generation of Hydro-Carbons {citation below} on Titan and the Earth?
From the JPL 2008 article: "Saturn's moon Titan has hundreds of times more liquid hydrocarbons than all the known oil and natural gas reserves on Earth", according to new data from NASA's Cassini spacecraft.
Saturn's orange moon Titan has hundreds of times more liquid hydrocarbons than all the known oil and natural gas reserves on Earth, according to new data from NASA's Cassini spacecraft. The hydrocarbons rain from the sky, collecting in vast deposits that form lakes and dunes.
The new findings from the study led by Ralph Lorenz, Cassini radar team member from the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Md., are reported in the Jan. 29 issue of the Geophysical Research Letters."Titan is just covered in carbon-bearing material -- it's a giant factory of organic chemicals," said Lorenz.
"This vast carbon inventory is an important window into the geology and climate history of Titan.
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