Planetary Origins and Development
Lead Research Organisation:
UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD
Department Name: Earth Sciences
Abstract
The research in this proposal tries to answer a string of questions about why we are here. Not just why you and I are here. Not even why life started. But why we have a Solar System, at all. We are sure the planets formed from a swirling disk of gas and dust. However, we do not know much about how the planets formed, and how material in the disk was redistributed. We can get clues from precise measurements of small differences in the kinds of atoms present. This isotopic heterogeneity came from stars that predated our sun. These act as a signature of the dust characterising different parts of the disk allowing us to track motions rather like a detective uses fingerprints to trace a criminal. We have tentative evidence that Mars, a small planet, actually formed very fast, at the same time as Jupiter should have been forming a bit further away. Maybe Jupiter accumulated most of the dust and debris and did not leave much for Mars to get bigger. The first thing to do is to check out this evidence on timing and see if it is right. We need to improve the trace element and isotopic measurements to achieve this. We think the Moon formed from the debris left from a collision between Earth and another planet. The debris was so hot that it vaporised and some was lost to space. We have evidence that alkali metals like rubidium were also lost. We need to check out this theory with more measurements and see what else evaporated when planets were made. We also think metal cores form from an ocean of molten rock created from the incredible heat resulting from collisions with other planets and impactors. We can figure out the temperatures and pressures and composition of the planet at the time by measuring trace elements and comparing their concentration with what you predict from experiments. We want to know how melting works on planets that have lots of volcanism. We will model the behaviour of one of Jupiter's moons (called Io) and make comparisons with the early Earth which is a time when tidal effects would have produced extensive melting. We need to establish how volcanism generates atmospheres. The depletion in volatile elements in the terrestrial planets provide clues but they are not well understood. We will develop new models to try and constrain this. We will also study how volcanism affects planetary environments and their habitability. In particular, we will investigate how lightning is generated in volcanic planetary environments. Lastly, we will look at the issue of why the basic building blocks of life on Earth have a certain 'left handed' molecular structure. We think this chirality may have something to do with the way amino acids interacted with clays in the early Earth and will conduct experiments aimed at evaluating this.
Organisations
- UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD (Lead Research Organisation)
- The Natural History Museum (Project Partner)
- University of Bern (Project Partner)
- University of Chicago (Project Partner)
- University of Palermo (Project Partner)
- The Open University (Project Partner)
- UNIVERSITY OF READING (Project Partner)
- Max Planck Institutes (Project Partner)
- STFC - LABORATORIES (Project Partner)
- Nu Instruments Ltd (Project Partner)
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Project Partner)
- The University of Manchester (Project Partner)
Publications
Abraham K
(2015)
Determination of mass-dependent variations in tungsten stable isotope compositions of geological reference materials by double-spike and MC-ICPMS
in Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry
Akram W. M.
(2009)
ZIRCONIUM ISOTOPE HETEROGENEITIES IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM
in METEORITICS & PLANETARY SCIENCE
Armytage R
(2012)
Silicon isotopes in lunar rocks: Implications for the Moon's formation and the early history of the Earth
in Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta
Armytage R
(2011)
Silicon isotopes in meteorites and planetary core formation
in Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta
Armytage R. M. G.
(2010)
CHARACTERISATION OF THE SILICON ISOTOPE COMPOSITION OF THE LUNAR MANTLE
in METEORITICS & PLANETARY SCIENCE
Baker R
(2010)
The thallium isotope composition of carbonaceous chondrites - New evidence for live 205Pb in the early solar system
in Earth and Planetary Science Letters
Bonnand P
(2017)
Corrigendum to "Stable chromium isotopic composition of meteorites and metal-silicate experiments: Implications for fractionation during core formation" [Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 435 (2016) 14-21]
in Earth and Planetary Science Letters
Bonnand P
(2016)
Mass dependent fractionation of stable chromium isotopes in mare basalts: Implications for the formation and the differentiation of the Moon
in Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta
Bonnand P
(2016)
Stable chromium isotopic composition of meteorites and metal-silicate experiments: Implications for fractionation during core formation
in Earth and Planetary Science Letters
Chambers, J.E. And Halliday A.N.
Encyclopaedia of the Solar System
Halliday A
(2014)
Treatise on Geochemistry
Halliday A
(2015)
Treatise on Geophysics
Halliday AN
(2012)
Planetary science. The origin of the Moon.
in Science (New York, N.Y.)
Holdship P
(2018)
Micro flow injection ICP-MS analysis of high matrix samples: an investigation of its capability to measure trace elements in iron meteorites
in Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry
Horner TJ
(2015)
Persistence of deeply sourced iron in the Pacific Ocean.
in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Lee D
(2009)
182Hf-182W chronometry and early differentiation of the ureilite parent body
in Earth and Planetary Science Letters
Leya I
(2009)
NEW TITANIUM ISOTOPE DATA FOR ALLENDE AND EFREMOVKA CAIs
in The Astrophysical Journal
Leya I.
(2009)
Titanium isotopes in the solar system
in GEOCHIMICA ET COSMOCHIMICA ACTA
Liang Y
(2017)
Molybdenum isotope fractionation in the mantle
in Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta
Nielsen S
(2011)
Determination of Precise and Accurate 51V/50V Isotope Ratios by MC-ICP-MS, Part 1: Chemical Separation of Vanadium and Mass Spectrometric Protocols
in Geostandards and Geoanalytical Research
Nielsen S
(2014)
Vanadium isotopic difference between the silicate Earth and meteorites
in Earth and Planetary Science Letters
Opfergelt S
(2014)
Magnesium retention on the soil exchange complex controlling Mg isotope variations in soils, soil solutions and vegetation in volcanic soils, Iceland
in Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta
Prytulak J
(2011)
Determination of Precise and Accurate 51V/50V Isotope Ratios by Multi-Collector ICP-MS, Part 2: Isotopic Composition of Six Reference Materials plus the Allende Chondrite and Verification Tests
in Geostandards and Geoanalytical Research
Quitté G
(2011)
60Fe-60Ni systematics in the eucrite parent body: A case study of Bouvante and Juvinas
in Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta
Savage P
(2012)
The silicon isotope composition of granites
in Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta
Savage P
(2014)
High temperature silicon isotope geochemistry
in Lithos
Savage P
(2011)
Silicon isotope fractionation during magmatic differentiation
in Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta
Savage P
(2010)
Silicon isotope homogeneity in the mantle
in Earth and Planetary Science Letters
Savage P. S.
(2010)
Silicon isotopes and magmatic evolution
in GEOCHIMICA ET COSMOCHIMICA ACTA
Siebert C
(2015)
Molybdenum isotope fractionation in soils: Influence of redox conditions, organic matter, and atmospheric inputs
in Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta
Stevenson DJ
(2014)
The origin of the Moon. Preface.
in Philosophical transactions. Series A, Mathematical, physical, and engineering sciences
Tuff J
(2013)
Volcanism on Mars controlled by early oxidation of the upper mantle.
in Nature
Ventura G
(2015)
The stable isotope composition of vanadium, nickel, and molybdenum in crude oils
in Applied Geochemistry
Wade J
(2012)
Metal-silicate partitioning experiments in the diamond anvil cell: A comment on potential analytical errors
in Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors
Wade J
(2012)
Metal-silicate partitioning of Mo and W at high pressures and temperatures: Evidence for late accretion of sulphur to the Earth
in Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta
Wade J
(2013)
The oxidation state of tungsten in silicate melt at high pressures and temperatures
in Chemical Geology
Wood BJ
(2010)
The lead isotopic age of the Earth can be explained by core formation alone.
in Nature
Yang J
(2015)
Absence of molybdenum isotope fractionation during magmatic differentiation at Hekla volcano, Iceland
in Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta
Yang J
(2017)
The molybdenum isotopic compositions of I-, S- and A-type granitic suites
in Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta
| Description | We showed that the nickel isotopic composition of the silicate Earth is chondritic and not fractionated by core formation, although being heavily depleted. We showed that the molybdenum isotopic composition of the silicate Earth is poorly constrained and that earlier claims by others that there is a resolvable difference relative to chondrites cannot be substantiated. We showed that the molybdenum isotopic composition of magmas is unfractionated by differentiation of anhydrous phases We showed that inner solar system volatiles (noble gases, H, C and N) have a consistent pattern and that Earth's water was not delivered from cometary components |
| Exploitation Route | These techniques and the data on the Earth in particular are of relevance to broader studies of the environment |
| Sectors | Environment |
| Description | Giving talks to the public and broader scientific audiences about the origin of the Earth and Moon The technique developments and data generated form part of a broader understanding of the elements in the environment |
| First Year Of Impact | 2011 |
| Sector | Environment |
| Impact Types | Societal |