Melting in the Fe-FeO system to 204 GPa: Implications for oxygen in Earth's core

2019 ◽  
Vol 104 (11) ◽  
pp. 1603-1607 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenta Oka ◽  
Kei Hirose ◽  
Shoh Tagawa ◽  
Yuto Kidokoro ◽  
Yoichi Nakajima ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Inner Core ◽  
Liquid Core ◽  
Light Element ◽  
Liquid Immiscibility ◽  
Eutectic Liquid ◽  
Core Boundary ◽  
Diamond Anvil ◽  
Rich Liquid ◽  
Melting Experiments ◽  
Carbon Concentrations

Abstract We performed melting experiments on Fe-O alloys up to 204 GPa and 3500 K in a diamond-anvil cell (DAC) and determined the liquidus phase relations in the Fe-FeO system based on textural and chemical characterizations of recovered samples. Liquid-liquid immiscibility was observed up to 29 GPa. Oxygen concentration in eutectic liquid increased from >8 wt% O at 44 GPa to 13 wt% at 204 GPa and is extrapolated to be about 15 wt% at the inner core boundary (ICB) conditions. These results support O-rich liquid core, although oxygen cannot be a single core light element. We estimated the range of possible liquid core compositions in Fe-O-Si-C-S and found that the upper bounds for silicon and carbon concentrations are constrained by the crystallization of dense inner core at the ICB.

scholarly journals Torsional waves driven by convection and jets in Earth’s liquid core

2018 ◽  
Vol 216 (1) ◽  
pp. 123-129 ◽  
Author(s):  
R J Teed ◽  
C A Jones ◽  
S M Tobias
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Density Gradient ◽  
Inner Core ◽  
Liquid Core ◽  
Outer Core ◽  
Dynamo Action ◽  
Radial Magnetic Field ◽  
Torsional Waves ◽  
Plausible Mechanism ◽  
Rich Liquid

SUMMARY Turbulence and waves in Earth’s iron-rich liquid outer core are believed to be responsible for the generation of the geomagnetic field via dynamo action. When waves break upon the mantle they cause a shift in the rotation rate of Earth’s solid exterior and contribute to variations in the length-of-day on a ∼6-yr timescale. Though the outer core cannot be probed by direct observation, such torsional waves are believed to propagate along Earth’s radial magnetic field, but as yet no self-consistent mechanism for their generation has been determined. Here we provide evidence of a realistic physical excitation mechanism for torsional waves observed in numerical simulations. We find that inefficient convection above and below the solid inner core traps buoyant fluid forming a density gradient between pole and equator, similar to that observed in Earth’s atmosphere. Consequently, a shearing jet stream—a ‘thermal wind’—is formed near the inner core; evidence of such a jet has recently been found. Owing to the sharp density gradient and influence of magnetic field, convection at this location is able to operate with the turnover frequency required to generate waves. Amplified by the jet it then triggers a train of oscillations. Our results demonstrate a plausible mechanism for generating torsional waves under Earth-like conditions and thus further cement their importance for Earth’s core dynamics.

scholarly journals Melting of iron determined by X-ray absorption spectroscopy to 100 GPa

2015 ◽  
Vol 112 (39) ◽  
pp. 12042-12045 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giuliana Aquilanti ◽  
Angela Trapananti ◽  
Amol Karandikar ◽  
Innokenty Kantor ◽  
Carlo Marini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Melting Temperature ◽  
Absorption Spectroscopy ◽  
Inner Core ◽  
Solid Phase ◽  
Melting Curve ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Core Boundary ◽  
Diamond Anvil ◽  
Laser Heated ◽  
X Ray Absorption

Temperature, thermal history, and dynamics of Earth rely critically on the knowledge of the melting temperature of iron at the pressure conditions of the inner core boundary (ICB) where the geotherm crosses the melting curve. The literature on this subject is overwhelming, and no consensus has been reached, with a very large disagreement of the order of 2,000 K for the ICB temperature. Here we report new data on the melting temperature of iron in a laser-heated diamond anvil cell to 103 GPa obtained by X-ray absorption spectroscopy, a technique rarely used at such conditions. The modifications of the onset of the absorption spectra are used as a reliable melting criterion regardless of the solid phase from which the solid to liquid transition takes place. Our results show a melting temperature of iron in agreement with most previous studies up to 100 GPa, namely of 3,090 K at 103 GPa.

scholarly journals Mantle-induced temperature anomalies do not reach the inner core boundary

2019 ◽  
Vol 219 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S21-S32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher J Davies ◽  
Jon E Mound
Keyword(s):  
Heat Flow ◽  
Numerical Simulations ◽  
Inner Core ◽  
Liquid Core ◽  
Temperature Variations ◽  
Temperature Anomalies ◽  
Longitudinal Temperature ◽  
Core Boundary ◽  
Core Conditions ◽  
Heat Flow Variations

SUMMARY Temperature anomalies in Earth’s liquid core reflect the vigour of convection and the nature and extent of thermal core–mantle coupling. Numerical simulations suggest that longitudinal temperature anomalies forced by lateral heat flow variations at the core–mantle boundary (CMB) can greatly exceed the anomalies that arise in homogeneous convection (i.e. with no boundary forcing) and may even penetrate all the way to the inner core boundary. However, it is not clear whether these simulations access the relevant regime for convection in Earth’s core, which is characterized by rapid rotation (low Ekman number E) and strong driving (high Rayleigh number Ra). We access this regime using numerical simulations of non-magnetic rotating convection with imposed heat flow variations at the outer boundary (OB) and investigate the amplitude and spatial pattern of thermal anomalies, focusing on the inner and outer boundaries. The 108 simulations cover the parameter range 10−4 ≤ E ≤ 10−6 and Ra = 1−800 times the critical value. At each Ra and E we consider two heat flow patterns—one derived from seismic tomography and the hemispheric $Y_1^1$ spherical harmonic pattern—with amplitudes measured by the parameter q⋆ = 2.3, 5 as well as the case of homogeneous convection. At the OB the forcing produces strong longitudinal temperature variations that peak in the equatorial region. Scaling relations suggest that the longitudinal variations are weakly dependent on E and Ra and are much stronger than in homogeneous convection, reaching O(1) K at core conditions if q⋆ ≈ 35. At the inner boundary, latitudinal and longitudinal temperature variations depend weakly on Ra and q⋆ and decrease strongly with E, becoming practically indistinguishable between homogeneous and heterogeneous cases at E = 10−6. Interpreted at core conditions our results suggest that heat flow variations on the CMB are unlikely to explain the large-scale variations observed by seismology at the top of the inner core.

scholarly journals Ab Initio Thermoelasticity of Liquid Iron-Nickel-Light Element Alloys

Minerals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiroki Ichikawa ◽  
Taku Tsuchiya
Keyword(s):  
Ab Initio ◽  
Liquid Iron ◽  
Inner Core ◽  
Light Element ◽  
Outer Core ◽  
Light Elements ◽  
Major Element Composition ◽  
Silicon Carbon ◽  
Other Information ◽  
Core Boundary

The earth’s core is thought to be composed of Fe-Ni alloy including substantially large amounts of light elements. Although oxygen, silicon, carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, and hydrogen have been proposed as candidates for the light elements, little is known about the amount and the species so far, primarily because of the difficulties in measurements of liquid properties under the outer core pressure and temperature condition. Here, we carry out massive ab initio computations of liquid Fe-Ni-light element alloys with various compositions under the whole outer core P, T condition in order to quantitatively evaluate their thermoelasticity. Calculated results indicate that Si and S have larger effects on the density of liquid iron than O and H, but the seismological reference values of the outer core can be reproduced simultaneously by any light elements except for C. In order to place further constraints on the outer core chemistry, other information, in particular melting phase relations of iron light elements alloys at the inner core-outer core boundary, are necessary. The optimized best-fit compositions demonstrate that the major element composition of the bulk earth is expected to be CI chondritic for the Si-rich core with the pyrolytic mantle or for the Si-poor core and the (Mg,Fe)SiO3-dominant mantle. But the H-rich core likely causes a distinct Fe depletion for the bulk Earth composition.

Density and sound velocity of liquid Fe-S alloys at Earth's outer core P-T conditions

2020 ◽  
Vol 105 (9) ◽  
pp. 1349-1354
Author(s):  
Jie Fu ◽  
Lingzhi Cao ◽  
Xiangmei Duan ◽  
Anatoly B. Belonoshko
Keyword(s):  
Sound Velocity ◽  
Inner Core ◽  
Light Element ◽  
Outer Core ◽  
Earth Model ◽  
Thermal Equation ◽  
Fundamental Parameters ◽  
Core Boundary ◽  
Core Conditions ◽  
Dynamics Simulations

Abstract Pressure-temperature-volume (P-T-V) data on liquid iron-sulfur (Fe-S) alloys at the Earth's outer core conditions (~136 to 330 GPa, ~4000 to 7000 K) have been obtained by first-principles molecular dynamics simulations. We developed a thermal equation of state (EoS) composed of Murnaghan and Mie-Grüneisen-Debye expressions for liquid Fe-S alloys. The density and sound velocity are calculated and compared with Preliminary Reference Earth Model (PREM) to constrain the S concentration in the outer core. Since the temperature at the inner core boundary (TICB) has not been measured precisely (4850~7100 K), we deduce that the S concentration ranges from 10~14 wt% assuming S is the only light element. Our results also show that Fe-S alloys cannot satisfy the seismological density and sound velocity simultaneously and thus S element is not the only light element. Considering the geophysical and geochemical constraints, we propose that the outer core contains no more than 3.5 wt% S, 2.5 wt% O, or 3.8 wt% Si. In addition, the developed thermal EoS can be utilized to calculate the thermal properties of liquid Fe-S alloys, which may serve as the fundamental parameters to model the Earth's outer core.

scholarly journals Earth’s core could be the largest terrestrial carbon reservoir

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Suraj K. Bajgain ◽  
Mainak Mookherjee ◽  
Rajdeep Dasgupta
Keyword(s):  
Inner Core ◽  
Light Element ◽  
Essential Element ◽  
Compressional Wave ◽  
Outer Core ◽  
Terrestrial Carbon ◽  
Earth’S Core ◽  
Earth's Core ◽  
Core Boundary ◽  
Dynamics Simulations

AbstractEvaluating carbon’s candidacy as a light element in the Earth’s core is critical to constrain the budget and planet-scale distribution of this life-essential element. Here we use first principles molecular dynamics simulations to estimate the density and compressional wave velocity of liquid iron-carbon alloys with ~4-9 wt.% carbon at 0-360 gigapascals and 4000-7000 kelvin. We find that for an iron-carbon binary system, ~1-4 wt.% carbon can explain seismological compressional wave velocities. However, this is incompatible with the ~5-7 wt.% carbon that we find is required to explain the core’s density deficit. When we consider a ternary system including iron, carbon and another light element combined with additional constraints from iron meteorites and the density discontinuity at the inner-core boundary, we find that a carbon content of the outer core of 0.3-2.0 wt.%, is able to satisfy both properties. This could make the outer core the largest reservoir of terrestrial carbon.

Measuring the melting curve of iron at super-Earth core conditions

Science ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 375 (6577) ◽  
pp. 202-205
Author(s):  
Richard G. Kraus ◽  
Russell J. Hemley ◽  
Suzanne J. Ali ◽  
Jonathan L. Belof ◽  
Lorin X. Benedict ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Liquid Metal ◽  
Inner Core ◽  
Melting Curve ◽  
Radiation Shielding ◽  
Metal Core ◽  
Earth Core ◽  
Core Boundary ◽  
Earth Like Planets ◽  
Earth’S Inner Core ◽  
Core Conditions

Terapascal iron-melting temperature The pressure and temperature conditions at which iron melts are important for terrestrial planets because they determine the size of the liquid metal core, an important factor for understanding the potential for generating a radiation-shielding magnetic field. Kraus et al . used laser-driven shock to determine the iron-melt curve up to a pressure of 1000 gigapascals (see the Perspective by Zhang and Lin). This value is about three times that of the Earth’s inner core boundary. The authors found that the liquid metal core lasted the longest for Earth-like planets four to six times larger in mass than the Earth. —BG

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