Which of the following layers of the Earth's interior is primarily responsible for generating the Earth's magnetic field through the dynamo effect involving molten iron and nickel?

💡 Solution & Explanation

The outer core is a fluid layer composed mostly of molten iron and nickel situated beneath the mantle and above the solid inner core. Convective movements of this metallic fluid generate electrical currents, which in turn produce the planetary magnetic field through magnetohydrodynamic action. The solid inner core is too hot to sustain a permanent magnetic field, while the crust and mantle lack the required electrical conductivity and fluid mobility. The study of seismic shear waves confirms the liquid state of this boundary layer.