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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 91 records · Page 5
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NASA NTRS1994

Alkali element constraints on Earth-Moon relations

Given their range of volatilities, alkali elements are potential tracers of temperature-dependent processes during planetary accretion and formation of the Earth-Moon system. Under the giant impact hypothesis, no direct connection between the composition of the Moon and the Earth is required, and proto-lunar material does not necessarily experience high temperatures. Models calling for multiple collisions with smaller planetesimals derive proto-lunar materials mainly from the Earth's mantle and explicitly invoke vaporization, shock melting and volatility-related fractionation. Na/K, K/Rb, and Rb/Cs should all increase in response to thermal volatization, so theories which derive the Moon substantially from Earth's mantle predict these ratios will be higher in the Moon than in the primitive mantle of the Earth. Despite the overall depletion of volatile elements in the Moon, its Na/K and K/Rb are equal to or less than those of Earth. A new model presented here for the composition of Earth's continental crust, a major repository of the alkali elements, suggests the Rb/Cs of the Moon is also less than that of Earth. Fractionation of the alkali elements between Earth and Moon are in the opposite sense to predictions based on the relative volatilities of these elements, if the Moon formed by high-T processing of Earth's mantle. Earth, rather than the Moon, appears to carry a signature of volatility-related fractionation in the alkali elements. This may reflect an early episode of intense heating on Earth with the Moon's alkali budget accreting from cooler material.

Norman, M. D.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Oxidation state of the Earth's upper mantle during the last 3800 million years: Implications for the origin of life

A popular, as well as scientifically rigorous, scenario for the origin of life on Earth involves the production of organic molecules by interaction of lightning (or other forms of energy) with a chemically reducing atmosphere in the early history of Earth. Experiments since the 1950's have convincingly demonstrated that the yield of organic molecules is high when the atmosphere contains molecular hydrogen, methane, ammonia, and water vapor. Additional work has also shown that such a highly reducing atmosphere might not, however, have been sufficiently long-lived in the presence of intense solar ultraviolet radiation for life to have formed from it. One way of maintaining such an atmosphere would be to have a continual replenishment of the reduced gases by prolonged volcanic outgassing from a reducing of Earth's interior. The length of time that this replenishment might need to continue is in part constrained by the flux of asteroids onto the Earth's surface containing sufficient energy to destroy most, if not all, life that had developed up to that point in time. If a reducing atmosphere is a key ingredient for the origin of life on Earth, the time of the last environmental sterilization due to large impacts would be an important constraint. In a deep marine setting (e.g., hydrothermal vent), the last global sterilization might have occurred at 4200-4000 Ma. On the Earth's surface, the last global sterilization event might have occurred at 4000-3700 Ma. If these are meaningful constraints, how likely is it that a reducing atmosphere could have survived on the Earth until about 3800 Ma ago? Due to the importance of replenishing this atmosphere with reducing components by volcanic outgassing from the mantle, geochemical information on the history of the mantle's oxidation state would be useful for addressing this question. Geochemical and experimental data discussed in this abstract suggest that extrusive mafic volcanics derived from the upper mantle have had oxidation states near the fayalite-magnetite quartz buffer throughout the last 3800 Ma. At magmatic temperatures, the gases released from volcanoes having this oxidation state would have been, as they are today, composed dominantly of carbon dioxide and water vapor, and would not contain the ingredients for maintaining a reducing atmosphere. Consequently, geochemical data do not favor the survival of a reducing atmosphere until about 3800 Ma. Alternative venues and pathways for the origin of life need to be investigated (e.g., hydrothermal vents along oceanic ridges).

Delano, J. W.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Bulk composition of the Moon in the context of models for condensation in the solar nebula

The FeO content of the Moon is substantially higher than the present FeO content of the Earth's mantle. If the Moon formed by fission from the Earth's mantle, then the conclusion that the Earth's mantle must have been much richer in FeO at the time of fission appears firm. If the Moon formed independently in geocentric orbit, then the FeO contents of the two bodies should be similar, because both would be accreting from the same source of silicate material. Therefore, Earth's mantle at the time of lunar formation probably had an FeO content quite similar to the present FeO content of the Moon. This conclusion, if valid, has profound implications in two areas: (1) the differentiation history of the Earth's mantle and core; and (2) the processes responsible for governing the bulk compositions of the terrestrial planets. If Earth had more FeO than previously thought, then the composition differences between Earth and Mars are less than previously believed. This suggests that condensation temperature and heliocentric distance may have been less important in governing planetary compositions and other mechanisms, including iron/silicate fractionation may have been more important. The implication of this model for the compositions of the Moon and the other terrestrial planets are discussed.

Goettel, K. A.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Steady state toroidal magnetic field at earth's core-mantle boundary

Measurements of the dc electrical potential near the top of earth's mantle have been extrapolated into the deep mantle in order to estimate the strength of the toroidal magnetic field component at the core-mantle interface. Recent measurements have been interpreted as indicating that at the core-mantle interface, the magnetic toroidal and poloidal field components are approximately equal in magnitude. A motivation for such measurements is to obtain an estimate of the strength of the toroidal magnetic field in the core, a quantity important to our understanding of the geomagnetic field's dynamo generation. Through the use of several simple and idealized calculation, this paper discusses the theoretical relationship between the amplitude of the toroidal magnetic field at the core-mantle boundary and the actual amplitude within the core. Even with a very low inferred value of the toroidal field amplitude at the core-mantle boundary, (a few gauss), the toroidal field amplitude within the core could be consistent with a magnetohydrodynamic dynamo dominated by nonuniform rotation and having a strong toroidal magnetic field.

Levy, Eugene H.↗
NASA NTRS1981

The electrical conductivity of the Earth's upper mantle as estimated from satellite measured magnetic field variations

Low latitude magnetic field variations (magnetic storms) caused by large fluctuations in the equatorial ring current were derived from magnetic field magnitude data obtained by OGO 2, 4, and 6 satellites over an almost 5 year period. Analysis procedures consisted of (1) separating the disturbance field into internal and external parts relative to the surface of the Earth; (2) estimating the response function which related to the internally generated magnetic field variations to the external variations due to the ring current; and (3) interpreting the estimated response function using theoretical response functions for known conductivity profiles. Special consideration is given to possible ocean effects. A temperature profile is proposed using conductivity temperature data for single crystal olivine. The resulting temperature profile is reasonable for depths below 150-200 km, but is too high for shallower depths. Apparently, conductivity is not controlled solely by olivine at shallow depths.

Didwall, E. M.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Earth's core-mantle boundary - Results of experiments at high pressures and temperatures

Laboratory experiments document that liquid iron reacts chemically with silicates at high pressures (above 2.4 x 10 to the 10th Pa) and temperatures. In particular, (Mg,Fe)SiO3 perovskite, the most abundant mineral of earth's lower mantle, is expected to react with liquid iron to produce metallic alloys (FeO and FeSi) and nonmetallic silicates (SiO2 stishovite and MgSiO3 perovskite) at the pressures of the core-mantle boundary, 14 x 10 to the 10th Pa. The experimental observations, in conjunction with seismological data, suggest that the lowermost 200 to 300 km of earth's mantle, the D-double-prime layer, may be an extremely heterogeneous region as a result of chemical reactions between the silicate mantle and the liquid iron alloy of earth's core. The combined thermal-chemical-electrical boundary layer resulting from such reactions offers a plausible explanation for the complex behavior of seismic waves near the core-mantle boundary and could influence earth's magnetic field observed at the surface.

Knittle, Elise↗
NASA NTRS1983

Redox state of earth's upper mantle from kimberlitic ilmenites

Temperatures and oxygen fugacities are reported on discrete ilmenite nodules in kimberlites from West Africa which demonstrate that the source region in the upper mantle is moderately oxidized, consistent with other nodule suites in kimberlites from southern Africa and the United States. A model is presented for a variety of tectonic settings, proposing that the upper mantle is profiled in redox potential, oxidized in the fertile asthenosphere but reduced in the depleted lithosphere.

Haggerty, S. E.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Application of shock wave data to earth and planetary science

It is pointed out that shock wave data for: (1) low temperature condensable gases H2 and He, (2) H2O, CH4, NH3, CO, CO2, and N2 ices, and (3) silicates, metals, oxides and sulfides have many applications in geophysics and planetary science. The present paper is concerned with such applications. The composition of planetary interiors is discussed, taking into account the division of the major constituent of the planets in three groups on the basis of 'cosmic abundance' arguments, the H-He mixtures in the case of Jupiter and Saturn, shock wave data for hydrogen, and constraints on the internal structure of Uranus and Neptune. Attention is also given to the earth's mantle, shock wave data for mantle materials, the earth's core, impacts on planetary surfaces, elastic wave velocities as a function of pressure along the Hugoniot of iron, and reactions which yield the CO2 bearing atmospheres for Venus, earth, and Mars.

Ahrens, T. J.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Shock wave equation of state of serpentine to 150 GPa - Implications for the occurrence of water in the earth's lower mantle

The shock wave equation of state of Mg end-member serpentine was determined to 150 GPa by examining the shock properties of three polycrystalline serpentines: (1) a lizardite serpentine found near Globe (Arizona), (2) an antigorite serpentine from Thurman (New York), and (3) a chrysotile serpentine from Quebec (Canada). The shock wave experiments were carried out using either a two-stage light gas gun or a 40-mm bore propellant. The shock equation of state that was obtained is shown to exhibit four distinct regions: a low-pressure phase, a mixed phase region, a high-pressure phase, and a very high-pressure phase. The high-pressure density and sound speed of an H2O-rich magnesium silicate determined from these experiments indicate that the observed seismic properties of the lower mantle allow the existence of several weight percent of water in the lower mantle.

Tyburczy, James A.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Estimation of high temperature metal-silicate partition coefficients

It has been known for some time that abundances of siderophile elements in the upper mantle of the Earth are far in excess of those expected from equilibrium between metal and silicate at low pressures and temperatures. Murthy (1991) has re-examined this excess of siderophile element problem by estimating liquid metal/liquid silicate partition coefficients reduces from their measured values at a lower temperature, implying that siderophile elements become much less siderophilic at high temperatures. Murthy then draws the important conclusion that metal/silicate equilibrium at high temperatures can account for the abundances of siderophile elements in the Earth's mantle. Of course, his conclusion is critically dependent on the small values of the partition coefficients he calculates. Because the numerical values of most experimentally-determined partition coefficients increase with increasing temperature at both constant oxygen fugacity and at constant redox buffer, we think it is important to try an alternative extrapolation for comparison. We have computed high temperature metal/silicate partition coefficients under a different set of assumptions and show that such long temperature extrapolations yield values which are critically dependent upon the presumed chemical behavior of the siderophile elements in the system.

Jones, John H.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Metal-silicate thermochemistry at high temperature - Magma oceans and the 'excess siderophile element' problem of the earth's upper mantle

Low-temperature metal-silicate partition coefficients are extrapolated to magma ocean temperatures. If the low-temperature chemistry data is found to be applicable at high temperatures, an important assumption, then the results indicate that high temperature alone cannot account for the excess siderophile element problem of the upper mantle. For most elements, a rise in temperature will result in a modest increase in siderophile behavior if an iron-wuestite redox buffer is paralleled. However, long-range extrapolation of experimental data is hazardous when the data contains even modest experimental errors. For a given element, extrapolated high-temperature partition coefficients can differ by orders of magnitude, even when data from independent studies is consistent within quoted errors. In order to accurately assess siderophile element behavior in a magma ocean, it will be necessary to obtain direct experimental measurements for at least some of the siderophile elements.

Capobianco, Christopher J.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Siderophile elements in the upper mantle of the Earth: New clues from metal-silicate partition coefficients

New, precise data on the solubilities of Ni, Co, and Mo in silicate melts at 1400 C and fO2 from IW to IW-2 are presented. The results suggest NiO, CoO as stable species in the melt. No evidence for metallic Ni or Co was found. Equilibrium was ensured by reversals with initially high Ni and Co in the glass. Mo appears to change oxidation state at IW-1, from MoO3 to MoO2. Metal-silicate partition coefficients calculated from these data and recent data on Pd indicate similar partition coefficients for Pd and Mo at the conditions of core formation. This unexpected result constrains models of core formation in the Earth.

Holzheid, A.↗
NASA NTRS1994

MgSiO3-FeSiO3-Al2O3 in the Earth's lower mantle: Perovskite and garnet at 1200 km depth

Natural pyroxene and garnet starting material are used to study the effects of joint Fe and Al substitution into MgSiO3 perovskite at approxmiately 50 GPa. Garnet is found to coexist with perovskite in samples containing both Fe and Al to pressures occurring deep into the lower mantel (approximately 1200 km depth). The volume of the perovskite unit cell is V(sub o(Angstrom(exp 3)) = 162.59 + 5.95x(sub FeSiO3) + 10.80x(sub Al2O3) with aluminum causing a significant increase in the distortion from the ideal cubic cell. On the basis of a proposed extension of the MgSiO3-Al2O3 high-pressure phase diagram toward FeSiO3, Fe is shown to partition preferentially into the garnet phase. The stability of garnet deep into the lower mantel may hinder the penetration of subducted slabs below the transition zone.

O'Neill, Bridget↗
NASA NTRS1994

Water abundance and accretion history of terrestrial planets

According to a widespread believe, Earth's water was either added in form of a late volatile-rich veneer or as we have argued repeatedly that of all the water which was added to the Earth only that portion remained which was added towards the end of accretion when the mean oxygen fugacity of the accreting material became so high that metallic iron could not exist any longer. Prior to this moment, all the water in the latter scenario would have been used up for the oxidation of iron. Fe + H2O yields FeO + H2. Huge quantities of hydrogen would continuously be produced in this scenario which escaped. In the same moment the hydrogen on its way to the surface would lead to an efficient degassing of the growing Earth's mantle. The fact that - assuming C1 abundances - the amount of iridium in the Earth's mantle agrees, within a factor of two with the total water inventory of the Earth's mantle and crust is taken as evidence for the validity of such a scenario. In both scenarios, the Earth's mantle would remain dry and devoid of other volatiles. Some species soluble in metallic iron like carbon and hydrogen will probably partly enter the core in some portions. It is generally assumed that today a considerable portion of the earth's total water inventory resides in the mantle. It is also clear that over the history of the Earth the water of the Earth's oceans has been recycled many times through the mantle. This is the consequence of plate subduction. In a similar way mantle convection was probably responsible to being water into the originally dry mantle. As a consequence, today the Earth is wet both inside and outside.

Waenke, H.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Gravitational Core-Mantle Coupling and the Acceleration of the Earth

Gravitational core-mantle coupling may be the cause of the observed variable acceleration of the Earth's rotation on the 1000 year timescale. The idea is that density inhomogeneities which randomly come and go in the liquid outer core gravitationally attract density inhomogeneities in the mantle and crust, torquing the mantle and changing its rotation state. The corresponding torque by the mantle on the core may also explain the westward drift of the magnetic field of 0.2 deg per year. Gravitational core-mantle coupling would stochastically affect the rate of change of the Earth's obliquity by just a few per cent. Its contribution to polar wander would only be about 0.5% the presently observed rate. Tidal friction is slowing down the rotation of the Earth, overwhelming a smaller positive acceleration from postglacial rebound. Coupling between the liquid outer core of the Earth and the mantle has long been a suspected reason for changes in the length-of-day. The present investigation focuses on the gravitational coupling between the density anomalies in the convecting liquid outer core and those in the mantle and crust as a possible cause for the observed nonsecular acceleration on the millenial timescale. The basic idea is as follows. There are density inhomogeneities caused by blobs circulating in the outer core like the blobs in a lava lamp; thus the outer core's gravitational field is not featureless. Moreover, these blobs will form and dissipate somewhat randomly. Thus there will be a time variability to the fields. These density inhomogeneities will gravitationally attract the density anomalies in the mantle.

Rubincam, David Parry↗