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Alkali elements in the Earth's core: Evidence from enstatite meteorites
Author(s) -
Lodders K.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
meteoritics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1945-5100
pISSN - 0026-1114
DOI - 10.1111/j.1945-5100.1995.tb01215.x
Subject(s) - enstatite , meteorite , astrobiology , earth (classical element) , geology , core (optical fiber) , alkali metal , achondrite , chondrite , chemistry , physics , astronomy , optics , organic chemistry
— The abundances of alkali elements in the Earth's core are predicted by assuming that accretion of the Earth started from material similar in composition to enstatite chondrites and that enstatite achondrites (aubrites) provide a natural laboratory to study core‐mantle differentiation under extremely reducing conditions. If core formation on the aubrite parent body is comparable with core formation on the early Earth, it is found that 2600 (±1000) ppm Na, 550 (±260) ppm K, 3.4 (±2.1) ppm Rb, and 0.31 (±0.24) ppm Cs can reside in the Earth's core. The alkali‐element abundances are consistent with those predicted by independent estimates based on nebula condensation calculations and heat flow data.