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Ge/Ay133 When and how did the cores of terrestrial planets form?
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Estimated core sizes of the terrestrial planets. Two end member hypotheses for core formation:
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Estimated core sizes of the terrestrial planets. Two end member hypotheses for core formation: For homogeneous accretion, when does the onset of differentiation occur?
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How might we distinguish these, and their timing? Step 1: Know your geochemical affinities!
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Highly siderophile elements in the mantle: Late veneer…
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…or high pressure chemistry?
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Step 2: Know how to measure isotopes very well!
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Absolute Pb-Pb dating error bars getting down to ~1 Myr!
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182 Hf 182 W 9
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Once you have ages, can look for short-lived excesses: Hf/W ideal because Hf is a lithophile, whereas W is a siderophile, and 1/2 = 9 Myr. 180 Hf/ 184 W
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Yin et al. (2002)Kleine et al. (2002)
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Size dependence? What about earth-moon?
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Geochemical partitioning is sensitive to the depth at which silicates last “see” Fe/Ni metal. The atmosphere is also strongly affected by core formation, and its timing.
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Equilibrium Gas Abundances in Silicate Magmas SiO 2 + 2Fe 3 O 4 → 3Fe 2 SiO 4 + 0 2 SiO 2 + 2Fe + O 2 → Fe 2 SiO 4
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Might the exogenous delivery of organics to the early Earth been important? Equilibrium Gas Abundances in Silicate Magmas SiO 2 + 2Fe 3 O 4 → 3Fe 2 SiO 4 + 0 2 Quartz Fayalite Magnetite (QFM) SiO 2 + 2Fe + O 2 → Fe 2 SiO 4 Quartz Iron Fayalite (QFI)
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Giant impacts & the Earth-Moon System: 1. Temperature behavior R. Canup 2004, Icarus 168, 433 (and the slides that follow)
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Where does material go, & what is its composition?
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A `typical’ Moon forming event & simulation summary:
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Temperature evolution:
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Where does the iron/silicate go?
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