Details of Award
NERC Reference : NER/A/S/2003/00378
Partitioning of noble gases and siderophile elements between Fe-rich alloys and silicates at ultrahigh pressures and temperatures.
Grant Award
- Principal Investigator:
- Professor AP Jephcoat, University of Oxford, Earth Sciences
- Grant held at:
- University of Oxford, Earth Sciences
- Science Area:
- Earth
- Overall Classification:
- Earth
- ENRIs:
- Global Change
- Science Topics:
- Planetary science
- Properties Of Earth Materials
- Mantle & Core Processes
- Abstract:
- Formation of the Earth and other planets involved the physical separation of a metallic core from the silicate mantle and occurred nearly 4.5 thousand million years ago. A very high temperature stage of formation in which the whole planet was molten to an undetermined depth and covered with a 'magma ocean' is one hypothesis for planetary differentiation. Efforts to reconcile the present-day observations of the Earth's composition compared with meteoritic precursors revealed unexpected differences and have focused on the depth and thermodynamic conditions of equilibration. But, many questions are still uncertain and lie at the core of a debate concerning the origin of the Earth. We will generate in the laboratory the actual conditions of the segregation of Earth's metal core from a deep magma ocean for the first time to the highest possible pressures approaching the core-mantle boundary of the Earth (near 100 GPa and 5000 K) in the laser-heated diamond anvil cell. These new methods exceed the limits of most experiments until now, and involve close collaboration with other national and international researchers, and will provide new insight into the formation of the Earth and composition of the core. The experiments will be conducted on a range of siderophile (metal-loving) elements and proto-typical silicate compositions. Most importantly, we will address the behaviour and solubility of noble gases like helium and argon at these extreme conditions. Because the rare gases are a fundamental diagnostic of the present state of the Earth's deep interior, our work will in principle contribute to a direct understanding of core-mantle exchange processes throughout Earth evolution.
- NERC Reference:
- NER/A/S/2003/00378
- Grant Stage:
- Completed
- Scheme:
- Standard Grants Pre FEC
- Grant Status:
- Closed
- Programme:
- Standard Grant
This grant award has a total value of £318,047
FDAB - Financial Details (Award breakdown by headings)
| Total - Staff | Total - T&S | Total - Other Costs | Total - Indirect Costs | Total - Equipment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £148,965 | £9,400 | £28,200 | £68,524 | £62,960 |
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