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Non-atmospheric noble gases from CO(sub 2) well gaIn recent years a number of studies of both terrestrial and extraterrestrial material has allowed the piecing together of a picture of events occurring in the early solar system (4.5 Gyr ago), including the formation of the earth. However, before this picture can be completed with an appropriate amount of detail it will be necessary to make further advances. One of the areas where knowledge is lacking is the chemical and isotopic composition of the earth as a whole. The lack of knowledge has less to do with the capabilities of modern techniques than with the availability of samples to study. About 99.6 percent of the earth's mass is contained in the mantle and core, leaving less that 1 percent in the crust and atmosphere. Although the crust is derived from the mantle it has undergone extensive changes and it is therefore difficult (although not impossible) to use crustal material to study events occurring 4.5 Gyr ago. More information about the early earth could be obtained from studies of the mantle but it is difficult to obtain mantle material, because the mean thickness of the crust is 17 km, much greater than even the deepest mines or drill shafts. The two types of available mantle samples are discussed.
Document ID
19880021092
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Caffee, M. W.
(Lawrence Livermore National Lab. CA., United States)
Hudson, G. B.
(Lawrence Livermore National Lab. CA., United States)
Velsko, C.
(Lawrence Livermore National Lab. CA., United States)
Alexander, E. C., Jr.
(Minnesota Univ. Minneapolis., United States)
Huss, G. R.
(Minnesota Univ. Minneapolis., United States)
Chivas, A. R.
(Australian National Univ. Canberra., United States)
Date Acquired
September 5, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1988
Publication Information
Publication: Lunar and Planetary Inst., Nineteenth Lunar and Planetary Science Conference. Press abstracts
Subject Category
Astrophysics
Accession Number
88N30476
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.
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