Sinking Iron Diapirs: A Model for Planetary Core Formation

Ruth Ziethe

ISBN 978-3-8325-0447-2
134 Seiten, Erscheinungsjahr: 2004
Preis: 40.50 €

Although all terrestrial planets are presently already separated into an iron-rich core and a silicate mantle, the process of the formation of a planetary core is still not well understood. Core formation is generally thought to have occurred concurrently with or soon after planet formation and happened rather rapidly. This work shows that planetary core formation by the settling of iron--rich melt bodies in a solid matrix is fast enough, if the viscosity of the planetary mantle has a strong temperature dependence.