IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v16y2025i1d10.1038_s41467-025-67067-y.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Depth-dependent anisotropy in the Earth’s inner core linked to chemical stratification

Author

Listed:
  • Efim Kolesnikov

    (University of Münster, Institute for Mineralogy
    UMR 8207 - UMET - Unité Matériaux et Transformations, Univ. Lille, CNRS, INRAE, Centrale Lille)

  • Xiang Li

    (University of Münster, Institute for Mineralogy
    The European Synchrotron, ESRF)

  • Susanne C. Müller

    (University of Münster, Institute for Mineralogy
    The European Synchrotron, ESRF)

  • Arno Rohrbach

    (University of Münster, Institute for Mineralogy)

  • Stephan Klemme

    (University of Münster, Institute for Mineralogy)

  • Jasper Berndt

    (University of Münster, Institute for Mineralogy)

  • Hanns-Peter Liermann

    (Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY)

  • Carmen Sanchez-Valle

    (University of Münster, Institute for Mineralogy)

  • Ilya Kupenko

    (University of Münster, Institute for Mineralogy
    The European Synchrotron, ESRF)

Abstract

Seismic anisotropy in the Earth’s inner core (IC), including the heterogeneous, depth-dependent anisotropy structure, is a well-documented yet poorly understood feature plausibly related to the alignment of iron alloy crystals. Here, we report the effect of silicon and carbon on the plastic deformation of hexagonal close-packed (hcp) iron using radial X-ray diffraction at pressures up to 128 GPa and temperatures up to 1100 K. Our results reveal a low compressional wave anisotropy (~2 %) in the Fe-Si-C alloy, consistent with the seismic anisotropy observed in the outer regions of the IC. These findings, together with the higher anisotropy exhibited by pure hcp-Fe, suggest that the depth-dependent elastic anisotropy of the IC may originate from chemical stratification, i.e., radial gradients in silicon and carbon concentrations, during crystallization.

Suggested Citation

  • Efim Kolesnikov & Xiang Li & Susanne C. Müller & Arno Rohrbach & Stephan Klemme & Jasper Berndt & Hanns-Peter Liermann & Carmen Sanchez-Valle & Ilya Kupenko, 2025. "Depth-dependent anisotropy in the Earth’s inner core linked to chemical stratification," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-11, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-67067-y
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-67067-y
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-67067-y
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-025-67067-y?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-67067-y. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.