The Earth's core is younger than its surface by 2.5 years: what an experiment on the mountain showed.

According to ТСН: A new study found that time at high altitudes flows faster, meaning that the Earth's core is actually younger than its surface by 2.5 years. To measure the small gravitational effects on time, scientists used an optical atomic clock—the most accurate clock ever created by humans—installed on the summit of Blue Sky Mountain in Colorado, at an altitude of 4348 meters.

Researchers believe that the speed of time flow depends on gravity: the higher the gravity and the lower the altitude, the slower time goes. It was previously thought that the Earth's core was younger than the crust by only a few days, however, new measurements showed a difference of approximately 1.5 to 2.5 years.

Optical atomic clocks can detect micro-differences in time even at just a few meters in height. They use ultra-cooled atomic clouds and lasers to excite electrons, and the oscillations of light are measured with extraordinary precision—the error is only eight parts in a ten billion, which is equivalent to a second error over nearly 40 billion years.

The experiment plan

A team of scientists from the University of Colorado in Boulder intends to compare the time at Blue Sky Mountain with a laboratory clock via laser connections and fiber-optic cables to assess the slowing of time. This experiment opens new horizons for research—from monitoring changes in land elevation due to melting glaciers to testing fundamental laws of physics.

Professor Scott Diddams emphasized that this is an unprecedented achievement:

“When we created the first optical clock 25 years ago, we could not even imagine that it would become such a powerful and portable tool for science.”

Further research

Blue Sky Mountain is just the first stage in a new method of studying time and gravity. Scientists plan to use optical clocks in various conditions for even more precise study of the effects of space, speed, and gravity on the flow of time.

These discoveries may not only shed light on fundamental questions of physics but also have practical applications in science and technology, particularly in the fields of navigation and geodesy. Expanding knowledge about the nature of time and its connection to gravity could lead to new innovations across many fields.