Research Suggests a Recipe for a Lighter Core for Earth—Just Add Water
MAR 01, 1998
The idea that the most common element in the cosmos—hydrogen—could also be one of the most common on Earth has a certain esthetic appeal; it Takuo Okuchi is correct, it may also be plausible.
DOI: 10.1063/1.882179
Ever since its formation roughly 4.5 billion years ago, Earth’s core has played an important role in nearly every aspect of the planet’s geologic history—from plate tectonics to the evolution of life. However, exactly how the core formed remains uncertain, and this uncertainty limits our knowledge of Earth’s formation and its evolution prior to core formation. (See the figure below.)
© 1998. American Institute of Physics
