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Simulation of the Planetary Interior Differentiation Processes in the Laboratory
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A silicate dynamo in the early Earth.

Lars Stixrude1,2, Roberto Scipioni3, Michael P Desjarlais4

  • 1Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA. lstixrude@epss.ucla.edu.

Nature Communications
|February 27, 2020
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

The early Earth's magnetic field was generated by its basal magma ocean. High electrical conductivity in this molten silicate layer, simulated under extreme pressure and temperature, supports dynamo theory for the ancient magnetic field.

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Area of Science:

  • Geophysics
  • Planetary Science
  • Computational Physics

Background:

  • Earth's magnetic field has existed for at least 3.4 billion years.
  • The generation mechanism of the ancient magnetic field remains unknown.
  • A molten silicate layer, the basal magma ocean, may have existed for over a billion years in early Earth's history.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the electrical conductivity of silicate liquid under basal magma ocean conditions.
  • To determine if the basal magma ocean could have generated Earth's ancient magnetic field.

Main Methods:

  • Density functional theory-based molecular dynamics simulations.
  • Modeling silicate liquid at high pressures (100-140 GPa) and temperatures (4000-6000 K).

Main Results:

  • Electrical conductivity of silicate liquid exceeds 10,000 S/m under simulated conditions.
  • This conductivity is over 100 times higher than measured at ambient conditions.
  • Computed magnetic Reynolds number surpasses the threshold for dynamo activity.

Conclusions:

  • The basal magma ocean likely generated Earth's Archean magnetic field.
  • The high electrical conductivity of the magma ocean is key to supporting dynamo generation.
  • Simulated magnetic field strength aligns with paleomagnetic records from the Archean eon.