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How was it discovered that the center of the earth is magma?

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First of all, it's not. The core of the earth is a giant ball of nickel-iron, which is under so much pressure that it is solid (or some solid-like state of matter) despite a temperature of thousands of degrees. read more

There are pockets of magma in various parts of earth's crust and mantle, but there is not any layer of the earth that is completely made of magma. Your question, though, is a good one. Early attempts to determine the internal structure of the earth were based on thermodynamics. read more

Geothermal drilling projects discovered two magma sites on the “Big Island” of Hawaii, and one on Iceland. Magma is a molten and semi-molten rock mixture found under the surface of the Earth. This mixture is usually made up of four parts: a hot liquid base, called the melt; minerals crystallized by the melt; solid rocks incorporated into the melt from the surrounding confines; and dissolved gases. read more

The inner core is responsible for providing the Earth with a magnetic field. If you’ve always imagined that the center of the Earth is full of magma, you’re not entirely wrong—the outer core is molten magma and nickel. The Whole Bushel. You might imagine that the center of the Earth is full of lava. Or dinosaurs. Or power crystals. Or the Devil. read more

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