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Evidence for an oxygen-depleted liquid outer core of the Earth

Author

Listed:
  • Haijun Huang

    (School of Sciences, Wuhan University of Technology)

  • Yingwei Fei

    (Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington
    School of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University)

  • Lingcang Cai

    (National Key Laboratory of Shock Wave and Detonation Physics, Institute of Fluid Physics, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang, Sichuan 621900, China)

  • Fuqian Jing

    (School of Sciences, Wuhan University of Technology
    National Key Laboratory of Shock Wave and Detonation Physics, Institute of Fluid Physics, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang, Sichuan 621900, China)

  • Xiaojun Hu

    (School of Sciences, Wuhan University of Technology)

  • Hongsen Xie

    (Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, Guizhou 550002, China)

  • Lianmeng Zhang

    (State Key Lab of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, China)

  • Zizheng Gong

    (National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Reliability and Environment Engineering, Beijing Institute of Spacecraft Environment Engineering)

Abstract

Reduced circumstances in Earth's core Earth's liquid outer core consists mainly of liquid iron alloyed with about 10% (by weight) of light elements. Oxygen has been proposed as a major light element in the core, based on cosmochemical arguments and chemical reactions during accretion, but here Huang et al. report data that virtually rule out oxygen as a major light element in the liquid outer core. They compare density and sound-velocity measurements in shock-wave experiments in the Fe–S–O system of Earth's core with geophysical observations. Their findings are consistent with an oxygen-depleted core, and a reduced environment during early Earth accretion, with important implications for early Earth accretion models.

Suggested Citation

  • Haijun Huang & Yingwei Fei & Lingcang Cai & Fuqian Jing & Xiaojun Hu & Hongsen Xie & Lianmeng Zhang & Zizheng Gong, 2011. "Evidence for an oxygen-depleted liquid outer core of the Earth," Nature, Nature, vol. 479(7374), pages 513-516, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:479:y:2011:i:7374:d:10.1038_nature10621
    DOI: 10.1038/nature10621
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