High-Pressure and Temperature Investigations in the Fe-C and Fe-P systems: Implications for Planetary Interiors

Prof. Henry Scott
University of Indiana at South Bend

Abstract:
Earth is a well-differentiated planet. Accordingly, elemental abundances observed in its crust are not necessarily indicative of its bulk chemistry, and meteoritics and cosmochemistry provide constraints on the chemistry of its deep interior. For example, carbon and phosphorus are commonly found in meteorites at higher concentrations than found at Earth's surface, but little is known about how these elements are stored in the deep Earth. I will discuss experimental measurements at high temperatures and pressures designed to assess the potential for their storage in planetary cores and the feasibility of hydrocarbon reservoirs in Earth's mantle.