Massive waves of molten metal in the Earth's core cause the planet's magnetic field to JERK around

Movements of the Earth's magnetic field are triggered by rising blobs of molten material within the planet's core, a new model suggests. Researchers modelled the physical conditions within the Earth's core using a supercomputer and found that rising blobs create powerful waves in the core. These waves change the flow of liquid that induces the planet's magnetic field, triggering jerks The Earth's geomagnetic field shields our planet from the ravages of the solar wind and cosmic rays that would otherwise strip away the vital upper atmosphere. As the blobs of molten matter rise up to reach the outer surface of the Earth's core, the researchers found that they generated powerful waves along the magnetic field lines near the core.