Chromium - The Secret Ingredient In Early Earth Formation
Monday, February 28, 2011 - 19:01
in Astronomy & Space
Early in the formation of the Earth, some forms of the element chromium separated and disappeared deep into the planet's core, according to a new study in Science. The team studied a class of meteorites called chondrites, which are leftovers from the formation of the solar system more than 4.5 billion years ago. By making very accurate measurements of chromium isotopes in the meteorites compared to Earth rocks and comparing them to theoretical predictions, the researchers were able to show for the first time that lighter isotopes of chromium preferentially go into the core. From this the team inferred that some 65 percent of the missing chromium is most likely in the Earth's core. read more