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Superionic effect and anisotropic texture in Earth’s inner core driven by geomagnetic field

Author

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  • Shichuan Sun

    (Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Yu He

    (Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Center for High Pressure Science and Technology Advanced Research)

  • Junyi Yang

    (Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Yufeng Lin

    (Southern University of Science and Technology)

  • Jinfeng Li

    (Southern University of Science and Technology)

  • Duck Young Kim

    (Center for High Pressure Science and Technology Advanced Research)

  • Heping Li

    (Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Ho-kwang Mao

    (Center for High Pressure Science and Technology Advanced Research)

Abstract

Seismological observations suggest that Earth’s inner core (IC) is heterogeneous and anisotropic. Increasing seismological observations make the understanding of the mineralogy and mechanism for the complex IC texture extremely challenging, and the driving force for the anisotropic texture remains unclear. Under IC conditions, hydrogen becomes highly diffusive like liquid in the hexagonal-close-packed (hcp) solid Fe lattice, which is known as the superionic state. Here, we reveal that H-ion diffusion in superionic Fe-H alloy is anisotropic with the lowest barrier energy along the c-axis. In the presence of an external electric field, the alignment of the Fe-H lattice with the c-axis pointing to the field direction is energetically favorable. Due to this effect, Fe-H alloys are aligned with the c-axis parallel to the equatorial plane by the diffusion of the north–south dipole geomagnetic field into the inner core. The aligned texture driven by the geomagnetic field presents significant seismic anisotropy, which explains the anisotropic seismic velocities in the IC, suggesting a strong coupling between the IC structure and geomagnetic field.

Suggested Citation

  • Shichuan Sun & Yu He & Junyi Yang & Yufeng Lin & Jinfeng Li & Duck Young Kim & Heping Li & Ho-kwang Mao, 2023. "Superionic effect and anisotropic texture in Earth’s inner core driven by geomagnetic field," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-8, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:14:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-023-37376-1
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37376-1
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Michael I. Bergman, 1997. "Measurements of electric anisotropy due to solidification texturing and the implications for the Earth's inner core," Nature, Nature, vol. 389(6646), pages 60-63, September.
    2. Marius Millot & Federica Coppari & J. Ryan Rygg & Antonio Correa Barrios & Sebastien Hamel & Damian C. Swift & Jon H. Eggert, 2019. "Nanosecond X-ray diffraction of shock-compressed superionic water ice," Nature, Nature, vol. 569(7755), pages 251-255, May.
    3. Fenglin Niu & Lianxing Wen, 2001. "Hemispherical variations in seismic velocity at the top of the Earth's inner core," Nature, Nature, vol. 410(6832), pages 1081-1084, April.
    4. Shun-ichiro Karato, 1999. "Seismic anisotropy of the Earth's inner core resulting from flow induced by Maxwell stresses," Nature, Nature, vol. 402(6764), pages 871-873, December.
    5. Yu He & Shichuan Sun & Duck Young Kim & Bo Gyu Jang & Heping Li & Ho-kwang Mao, 2022. "Superionic iron alloys and their seismic velocities in Earth’s inner core," Nature, Nature, vol. 602(7896), pages 258-262, February.
    6. Thierry Alboussière & Renaud Deguen & Mickaël Melzani, 2010. "Melting-induced stratification above the Earth’s inner core due to convective translation," Nature, Nature, vol. 466(7307), pages 744-747, August.
    7. Michael I. Bergman, 1997. "Erratum: Measurements of elastic anisotropy due to solidification texturing and the implications for the Earth's inner core," Nature, Nature, vol. 389(6649), pages 412-412, September.
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