The earth's mantle

1965 ◽  
Vol 55 (3) ◽  
pp. 619-625
Author(s):  
L. Don Leet ◽  
Florence J. Leet

Abstract It has been generally accepted for some time that the earth's mantle is “solid” (crystalline). But increasing complications arise as attempts are made to rationalize that state of matter with the growing list of properties of the mantle. We suggest that materials of the earth's mantle are in a fourth state of matter, which we propose calling soliqueous—a combination of solid, liquid, and gaseous. It includes elements for forming water molecules and allows expanding superheated steam to supply the principal force for elevating and distorting land masses. Bridgman's experiments on plastic deformation of materials at very high pressures revealed that spasmodic jerky yielding is characteristic. We propose plastic rupture in shear as the primary mechanism by which energy in the earth is converted to the vibrations of earthquakes.

The aim of this review is to bring together and relate recent progress in three subjects - the internal structure of the Earth, the behaviour of materials at very high pressures and the dynamical properties of the planets. Knowledge of the internal structure of the Earth has been advanced in recent years, particularly by observations of free oscillations of the whole Earth excited by the very largest earthquakes; as a consequence, it is clear that K. E. Bullen’s hypothesis that bulk modulus is a smooth function of pressure irrespective of composition is close to the truth for the Earth. Understanding of the behaviour of materials at very high pressure has increased as a result both of experiments on the propagation of shock waves and of theoretical investigations along a number of lines and it can now be seen that Bullen’s hypothesis is not true irrespective of chemical composition and crystal structure but that it happens to apply to the Earth because of particular circumstances. Studies of the orbits of artificial satellites and space probes have led to better knowledge of the dynamics of the Moon, Mars and Venus, and there have also been recent improvements in the traditional studies of Uranus and Neptune. Our knowledge of the dynamics of the planets is on the whole rather restricted, and Bullen’s hypothesis only applies directly to the Moon (for which the application is trivial) and possibly to Mars; the dynamical properties do none the less set fairly restrictive limits to the models that can be constructed for other planets. It would be possible for all planets to have cores of similar composition to the Earth ’s, surrounded by mantles of different sorts, silicates for the terrestrial planets and mostly hydrogen for Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenji Ohta ◽  
Kei Hirose

Abstract Precise determinations of the thermal conductivity of iron alloys at high pressures and temperatures are essential for understanding the thermal history and dynamics of the metallic cores of the Earth. We review relevant high-pressure experiments using a diamond-anvil cell and discuss implications of high core conductivity for its thermal and compositional evolution.


During the researches upon high-pressure explosions of carbonic oxide-air, hydrogen-air, etc., mixtures, which have been described in the previous papers of this series, a mass of data has been accumulated relating to the influence of density and temperature upon the internal energy of gases and the dissociation of steam and carbon dioxide. Some time ago, at Prof. Bone’s request, the author undertook a systematic survey of the data in question, and the present paper summarises some of the principal results thereof, which it is hoped will throw light upon problems interesting alike to chemists, physicists and internal-combustion engineers. The explosion method affords the only means known at present of determining the internal energies of gases at very high temperatures, and it has been used for this purpose for upwards of 50 years. Although by no means without difficulties, arising from uncertainties of some of the assumptions upon which it is based, yet, for want of a better, its results have been generally accepted as being at least provisionally valuable. Amongst the more recent investigations which have attracted attention in this connection should be mentioned those of Pier, Bjerrum, Siegel and Fenning, all of whom worked at low or medium pressures.


2003 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Franck ◽  
M. Cuntz ◽  
W. von Bloh ◽  
C. Bounama

In a previous paper, we showed that Earth-type habitable planets around 47 UMa are in principle possible if a distinct set of conditions is warranted. These conditions include that the Earth-type planets have successfully formed and are orbitally stable and, in addition, that the 47 UMa star–planet system is relatively young ([lsim ]6 Gyr). We now extend this study by considering Earth-like planets with different land/ocean coverages. This study is again based on the so-called integrated system approach, which describes the photosynthetic biomass production taking into account a variety of climatological, biogeochemical and geodynamical processes. This approach implies a special characterization of the habitable zone defined for a distinct type of planet. We show that the likelihood of finding a habitable Earth-like planet on a stable orbit around 47 UMa critically depends on the percentage of the planetary land/ocean coverage. The likelihood is significantly increased for planets with a very high percentage of ocean surface (‘water worlds’).


1978 ◽  
Vol 234 (4) ◽  
pp. H371-H383 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. A. Kontos ◽  
E. P. Wei ◽  
R. M. Navari ◽  
J. E. Levasseur ◽  
W. I. Rosenblum ◽  
...  

The responses of cerebral precapillary vessels to changes in arterial blood pressure were studied in anesthetized cats equipped with cranial windows for the direct observation of the pial microcirculation of the parietal cortex. Vessel responses were found to be size dependent. Between mean arterial pressures of 110 and 160 mmHg autoregulatory adjustments in caliber, e.g., constriction when the pressure rose and dilation when the pressure decreased, occurred only in vessels larger than 200 micron in diameter. Small arterioles, less than 100 micron in diameter, dilated only at pressures equal to or less than 90 mmHg; below 70 mmHg their dilation exceeded that of the larger vessels. When pressure rose to 170- 200 mmHg, small vessels dilated while the larger vessels remained constricted. At very high pressures (greater than 200 mmHg) forced dilation was frequently irreversible and was accompanied by loss of responsiveness to hypocapnia. Measurement of the pressure differences across various segments of the cerebral vascular bed showed that the larger surface cerebral vessels, extending from the circle of Willis to pial arteries 200 micron in diameter, were primarily responsible for the adjustments in flow over most of the pressure range.


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