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Can centrifugal force inside Earth's outer core overcome gravity?

Physics Asked on March 25, 2021

As the gravitational field inside Earth outer core is relatively weak can the angular momentum of Earth’s outer core be high enough to cause lighter elements or compounds being deposited in Earth’s deeper regions and denser matter being moved upwards? And as Earth’s rotation is faster on the equator does that mean there is a difference in the outer core structure as the geographic latitude changes?

One Answer

On the surface of the Earth the net force (centrifugal + gravitational) is strongly inwards and is roughly constant. As you descend into the earth, both the centrifugal force and the gravitational force decrease roughly in proportion to r. So gravity will continue to strongly dominate. The situation is a little different near the poles since the two forces there are roughly at right angles. Nevertheless the entire earth is in an isostatic equilibrium that includes these effects. The surfaces of equal (gravitational + centrifugal) potential form concentric slightly oblate spheroids. Convection currents driven by heat in the core are about the only thing that can disturb the equilibrium in the interior. These convection currents will behave differently at different latitudes due to the rotation, so it's likely there are some differences in structure between the equator and the poles.

Answered by Roger Wood on March 25, 2021

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