There is much we still don’t know about the inside of our planet – but scientists recently discovered water is slowly leaking down there from the surface. It’s not a simple journey. The liquid is dripping down descending tectonic plates, before eventually reaching the core after a 2,900 kilometre journey. And while the process is slow, it has over billions of years formed a new surface between the molten metal of the outer core and the outer mantle of the Earth. In a new study, scientists at Arizona State University have said the water is triggering a chemical reaction, creating the new layer, which is “few hundred kilometres thick”. (That’s “thin” when it comes to the inner layers of the Earth.) “For years, it has been believed that material exchange between Earth's core and mantle is small. Yet, our recent high-pressure experiments reveal a different story. “We found that when water reaches the core-mantle boundary, it reacts with silicon in the core, forming silica," co-author Dr Dan Shim wrote. “This discovery, along with our previous observation of diamonds forming from water reacting with carbon in iron liquid under extreme pressure, points to a far more dynamic core-mantle interaction, suggesting substantial material exchange.” So what does it mean for all of us up on the surface? The ASU release said: “This finding advances our understanding of Earth's internal processes, suggesting a more extensive global water cycle than previously recognised. “The altered ‘film’ of the core has profound implications for the geochemical cycles that connect the surface-water cycle with the deep metallic core.” How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel Sign up to our free indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

England manager Sarina Wiegman on Thursday dedicated her UEFA coach of the year prize to the Spain women's team amid the sexism scandal engulfing Spanish...

Follow The Independent's live coverage of all the action in the FA Women’s Super League today. The WSL is the top tier of English women’s football with international players from all over the world plying their trade in one of the most competitive and entertaining leagues around. Chelsea have won three of the past four titles and Emma Hayes’ side will be right in the hunt again, with the likes of Arsenal - champions in 2018-19 – and Manchester City, who have been runners-up for each of the past four seasons, among their competitors. With the top three sides qualifying for the UEFA Women’s Champions League, all 12 WSL teams have plenty to play for, although some clubs’ main ambition will simply be to avoid the drop. The side who finish bottom will be relegated to the FA Women’s Championship – a fate that befell Bristol City in 2020-21 – and newly-promoted Leicester City, competing in the top flight of the women’s game for the first time, will be eager to avoid an immediate return. We will bring you all the action and updates from today's game in the live blog below:

Former president Donald Trump decried the multiple charges and indictments, calling them “bulls***,” during a rally in New Hampshire on Tuesday afternoon. Mr Trump spoke during a rally in the state that holds the first presidential primary and the one that gave him his first primary win in 2016. The twice-impeached and now three-times-indicted former president said that President Joe Biden’s administration indicted him to hamper his 2024 run despite the fact that Attorney General Merrick Garland nominated Special Counsel Jack Smith to handle the probes into Mr Trump independently. “How can my corrupt political opponent, crooked Joe Biden put me on trial during an election campaign that I'm winning by a lot, but forcing me nevertheless to spend time and money away from the campaign trail in order to fight bogus made up accusations and charges,” he said. “So what they're doing, I'm sorry, I won't be able to go to Iowa today. I won't be able to go to New Hampshire today because I'm sitting in a courtroom on bulls**t because his Attorney General charged me,” he said. In response, attendees in Windham proceeded to chant “bulls**t.” Last week, a federal grand jury indicted Read More Pence says he's now met polling, donor qualifications for first Republican debate Thousands in Haiti march to demand safety from violent gangs as killings and kidnappings soar New Hampshire is sued over removal of marker dedicated to Communist Party leader

Over 80 million people from the Midwest to the East Coast are under air quality alerts as smoke from the Canadian wildfires sweep across the US border Tuesday, prompting beach closures, warnings about reduced visibility and calls to stay indoors.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's social media feeds suggest he's been busy unveiling development projects and rubbing shoulders with foreign leaders — the powerhouse embodiment of an ascendant India shaking up the global order

New York Jets coach Robert Saleh said the team would welcome the return of Aaron Rodgers this season if doctors agree the 39-year-old superstar quarterback has recovered from the ruptured Achilles he suffered in...

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American sprinters Noah Lyles and Fred Kerley are bringing some smack talk and even a bit of fun back to track just in time for the run-up to next year's Paris Olympics

Indonesia won footballing gold at the Southeast Asian Games on Tuesday, beating Thailand in a hot-tempered match that had seven goals, four players sent off, two mass brawls and even...

Mia Fishel and Jaedyn Shaw both scored their first international goals and the United States defeated Colombia 3-0 in an exhibition match on Sunday

A new study says Alexa, Siri and other voice assistants could do a better job giving instructions on CPR to help bystanders respond in emergencies