Computers reveal why Earth’s core is so dense
Scientists have used computer simulations to solve a long-standing mystery: what accounts for Earth’s core density?
The simulations shows that Earth’s core contains 0.1-0.8 percent carbon, the largest reservoir of carbon on the planet.
“We played with about 260 atoms to try to simulate Earth’s formation,” says UC Davis geology professor and study co-author Qing-Zhu Yin. “We assigned them their basic properties and let the quantum mechanics do the work in the computer.”
Full story at Futurity.
Photo credit: Fotolia
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