観測されたコア波速プロファイルから,外核の組成分層化
George Helffrich1, Satoshi Kaneshima
1Earthquake Research Institute, University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan. george.helffrich@bris.ac.uk
Nature
|December 15, 2010
まとめ
地球の中心にある光の元素は,独特の地震信号を生み出します. 観測により,外核の組成の変動が明らかになり,層分化と独特の温度グラデーションが示唆されています.
科学分野:
- 地質物理学 地質物理学とは地質物理学です.
- 地震学 地震学とは
- 地球科学 地球科学 地球科学
背景:
- 地球の核の組成は,惑星の進化を理解するために重要である.
- 軽い元素は,ほぼ純粋な鉄の核に存在すると理論化されています.
- 内核の結晶化は,外核に光の元素を集中させる.
研究 の 目的:
- 地球の核の境界で光の元素の分布に関連する地震信号を調査する.
- 最上端の外核における放射的組成の変異を特定するために.
- 熱グラデントに対するコア層化の影響を理解する.
主な方法:
- 配列ベースの地震波観測.
- コアにおける地震波速度の分析.
- 光元素濃度モデリング (Fe-O-Sシステムなど).
主要な成果:
- 地震波の速度は,外核の上部300kmの放射性組成の変動を示している.
- 速度プロファイルは,均質な液体圧縮モデルから逸脱する.
- 軽元素の濃度が重量5%まで,コアの上部で観察された.
結論:
- 地球の外核は,上部付近で構成的に層分かれています.
- 層分化は,外核の上部にサブアディアバティック温度グラデーションを示唆しています.
- 地震観測は,軽い元素の蓄積の証拠を提供する.
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