Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 2, 2026
06:04
Simulation of the Planetary Interior Differentiation Processes in the Laboratory
Published on: November 16, 2013
11.3K
The Earth's 'missing' niobium may be in the core
Nature
|May 9, 2001
Summary
Niobium and vanadium behave similarly during Earth's core formation. This suggests niobium entered the core with vanadium, negating the need for deep-mantle niobium reservoirs.
Area of Science:
- Geochemistry
- Planetary Science
- Earth Science
Background:
- Earth's core formation involved segregation of metallic and silicate phases.
- Moderately siderophile elements like vanadium are depleted in the silicate mantle, suggesting core entry.
- Refractory lithophile elements (e.g., calcium, rare-earth elements) are not depleted, indicating they remained in the silicate portion.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the partitioning behavior of niobium (Nb) between liquid metal and liquid silicate.
- To determine if Nb's depletion in the crust and upper mantle requires deep-mantle reservoirs.
- To compare Nb partitioning with that of vanadium (V), a known core-entering element.
Main Methods:
- High-pressure experiments simulating core-mantle differentiation.
- Analysis of element partitioning between metallic and silicate melts.
- Comparison of niobium and vanadium partitioning coefficients.
Main Results:
- Niobium and vanadium exhibit virtually identical partitioning behavior between liquid metal and liquid silicate at high pressure.
- The partitioning of Nb is consistent with that of V, a moderately siderophile element.
- Observed depletions of Nb in the crust and upper mantle can be explained by core partitioning, not hidden reservoirs.
Conclusions:
- Niobium likely entered Earth's core along with vanadium during planetary formation.
- The concept of deep-mantle niobium-rich reservoirs is unnecessary to explain observed depletions.
- This finding refines our understanding of Earth's early chemical differentiation and element distribution.
More Related Videos
11:50Metal-silicate Partitioning at High Pressure and Temperature: Experimental Methods and a Protocol to Suppress Highly Siderophile Element Inclusions
Published on: June 13, 2015
12.0K
08:23Niobium Oxide Films Deposited by Reactive Sputtering: Effect of Oxygen Flow Rate
Published on: September 28, 2019
6.9K
Related Concept Videos
01:49The Nitrogen Cycle
46.5K
Nitrogen atoms, present in all proteins and DNA, are recycled between abiotic and biotic components of the ecosystem. However, the primary form of nitrogen on Earth is nitrogen gas, which cannot be used by most animals and plants. Thus, nitrogen gas must first be converted into a usable form by nitrogen-fixing bacteria before it can be cycled through other living organisms. The use of nitrogen-containing fertilizers and animal waste products in human agriculture has greatly influenced the...
46.5K
02:59The Atomic Theory of Matter
107.5K
The earliest recorded discussion of the basic structure of matter comes from ancient Greek philosophers. Leucippus and Democritus argued that all matter was composed of small, finite particles that they called atomos, meaning “indivisible.” Later, Aristotle and others came to the conclusion that matter consisted of various combinations of the four “elements” — fire, earth, air, and water — and could be infinitely divided. Interestingly, these philosophers...
107.5K
03:26Electron Configuration of Multielectron Atoms
57.4K
The alkali metal sodium (atomic number 11) has one more electron than the neon atom. This electron must go into the lowest-energy subshell available, the 3s orbital, giving a 1s22s22p63s1 configuration. The electrons occupying the outermost shell orbital(s) (highest value of n) are called valence electrons, and those occupying the inner shell orbitals are called core electrons. Since the core electron shells correspond to noble gas electron configurations, we can abbreviate electron...
57.4K
02:54Noble Gases
16.5K
The elements in group 18 are noble gases (helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon, and radon). They earned the name “noble” because they were assumed to be nonreactive since they have filled valence shells. In 1962, Dr. Neil Bartlett at the University of British Columbia proved this assumption to be false.
16.5K
03:18Nuclear Stability
20.5K
Protons and neutrons, collectively called nucleons, are packed together tightly in a nucleus. With a radius of about 10−15 meters, a nucleus is quite small compared to the radius of the entire atom, which is about 10−10 meters. Nuclei are extremely dense compared to bulk matter, averaging 1.8 × 1014 grams per cubic centimeter. If the earth’s density were equal to the average nuclear density, the earth’s radius would be only about 200 meters.
To hold positively...
To hold positively...
20.5K
03:20Nuclear Transmutation
12.9K
Nuclear transmutation is the conversion of one nuclide into another. It can occur by the radioactive decay of a nucleus, or the reaction of a nucleus with another particle. The first manmade nucleus was produced in Ernest Rutherford’s laboratory in 1919 by a transmutation reaction, the bombardment of one type of nuclei with other nuclei or with neutrons. Rutherford bombarded nitrogen-14 atoms with high-speed α particles from a natural radioactive isotope of radium and observed...
12.9K