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Viscous drag and the differential rotation of the Earth's core

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 1997

DAVID L. BOOK  and
J. A. VALDIVIA
DAVID L. BOOK
Affiliation:
Astronomy Department, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
J. A. VALDIVIA
Affiliation:
Astronomy Department, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
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Abstract

It is proposed that the differential rotation of the Earth's inner core deduced by Song and Richards is due to a combination of the deceleration of the Earth's rotation and the viscous drag between the Earth's inner and outer cores. If this model is correct then the dynamic viscosity in the outer core of the Earth can be estimated to be μ≈104 poise. Besides providing a novel way of determining the viscosity of the core, this simple model suggests some new tests and shows how astronomical effects can influence geological phenomena.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Plasma Physics , Volume 57 , Issue 1 , January 1997 , pp. 231 - 233
Copyright
1997 Cambridge University Press

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