NASA Logo

NTRS

NTRS - NASA Technical Reports Server

Back to Results
The melting curve of iron to 250 gigapascals - A constraint on the temperature at earth's centerThe melting curve of iron, the primary constituent of earth's core, has been measured to pressures of 250 gigapascals with a combination of static and dynamic techniques. The melting temperature of iron at the pressure of the core-mantle boundary (136 GPa) is 4800 + or - 200 K, whereas at the inner core-outer core boundary (330 GPa), it is 7600 + or - 500 K. A melting temperature for iron-rich alloy of 6600 K at the inner core-outer core boundary and a maximum temperature of 6900 K at earth's center are inferred. This latter value is the first experimental upper bound on the temperature at earth's center, and these results imply that the temperature of the lower mantle is significantly less than that of the outer core.
Document ID
19870050951
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Williams, Quentin
(California Univ. Berkeley, CA, United States)
Jeanloz, Raymond
(California, University Berkeley, United States)
Bass, Jay
(Illinois, University Champaign, United States)
Svendsen, Bob
(California Univ. Berkeley, CA, United States)
Ahrens, Thomas J.
(California Institute of Technology Pasadena, United States)
Date Acquired
August 13, 2013
Publication Date
April 10, 1987
Publication Information
Publication: Science
Volume: 236
ISSN: 0036-8075
Subject Category
Geophysics
Accession Number
87A38225
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NSF EAR-84-19259
CONTRACT_GRANT: NSF EAR-83-13746
CONTRACT_GRANT: NSF EAR-85-08969
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

Available Downloads

There are no available downloads for this record.
No Preview Available