ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Lehmann discontinuity

Okay kiddo, imagine you're walking along a really bumpy path that goes deep into the ground. As you walk deeper and deeper, the path becomes rockier and harder to walk on, right? Well, eventually you'll come to a layer of the earth's crust where the rocks get REALLY hard and solid. This layer is called the Lehmann Discontinuity.

This special layer is found about 2,898 km (1,800 miles) beneath the earth's surface, which is REALLY far down. It separates the inner core (which is made of solid metal) from the outer core (which is made of hot, molten metal). The cool thing about the Lehmann Discontinuity is that it causes the seismic waves (vibrations) from earthquakes to travel differently through the earth's layers.

So, the Lehmann Discontinuity is kind of like a secret trapdoor that separates two parts of the earth's core. It's really important because it helps scientists learn more about the earth's composition and how it formed over time. And that's why the Lehmann Discontinuity is such a fascinating thing to study!