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Stratification in planetary cores by liquid immiscibility in Fe-S-H

Author

Listed:
  • Shunpei Yokoo

    (The University of Tokyo)

  • Kei Hirose

    (The University of Tokyo
    Tokyo Institute of Technology)

  • Shoh Tagawa

    (The University of Tokyo
    Tokyo Institute of Technology)

  • Guillaume Morard

    (Université Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, IRD, Université Gustave-Eiffel, ISTerre)

  • Yasuo Ohishi

    (Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute)

Abstract

Liquid-liquid immiscibility has been widely observed in iron alloy systems at ambient pressure and is important for the structure and dynamics in iron cores of rocky planets. While such previously known liquid immiscibility has been demonstrated to disappear at relatively low pressures, here we report immiscible S(±Si,O)-rich liquid and H(±C)-rich liquid above ~20 GPa, corresponding to conditions of the Martian core. Mars’ cosmochemically estimated core composition is likely in the miscibility gap, and the separation of two immiscible liquids could have driven core convection and stable stratification, which explains the formation and termination of the Martian planetary magnetic field. In addition, we observed liquid immiscibility in Fe-S-H(±Si,O,C) at least to 118 GPa, suggesting that it can occur in the Earth’s topmost outer core and form a low-velocity layer below the core-mantle boundary.

Suggested Citation

  • Shunpei Yokoo & Kei Hirose & Shoh Tagawa & Guillaume Morard & Yasuo Ohishi, 2022. "Stratification in planetary cores by liquid immiscibility in Fe-S-H," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-8, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:13:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-022-28274-z
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28274-z
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Kei Hirose & Guillaume Morard & Ryosuke Sinmyo & Koichio Umemoto & John Hernlund & George Helffrich & Stéphane Labrosse, 2017. "Crystallization of silicon dioxide and compositional evolution of the Earth’s core," Nature, Nature, vol. 543(7643), pages 99-102, March.
    2. Kevin J. Walsh & Alessandro Morbidelli & Sean N. Raymond & David P. O'Brien & Avi M. Mandell, 2011. "A low mass for Mars from Jupiter’s early gas-driven migration," Nature, Nature, vol. 475(7355), pages 206-209, July.
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