Scientists of course cannot cut into Earth and directly observe its insides. Instead, their knowledge is inferred from the vibrations generated by earthquakes that pass through the planet. The speed and the direction of the seismic vibrations change depending on the density and the elasticity of the rocks.

USC scientists have made a groundbreaking discovery about the nature of the Earth's enigmatic inner core, revealing for the first time that this 1,500-mile-wide ball of iron and nickel is changing.

Researchers studying decades of earthquake data say they have found the first evidence that, in addition to spinning backward, Earth’s inner core in changing shape.