Silicon at the Earth's core?

[waltky]

Mebbe the Earth is one big computer?...

Researchers near answer to mystery of Earth’s core
Fri, Jan 13, 2017 - Japanese scientists said that silicon is likely the mystery element in the Earth’s inner core, claiming progress on solving one of the planet’s deepest secrets.

The consensus has long been that the center of the planet is composed of about 85 percent iron and 10 percent nickel, with sulfur, oxygen and silicon prime candidates for the other 5 percent. However, geophysicist Eiji Ohtani at Tohoku University in northern Japan and his research team suggested that silicon is the most likely candidate. The team conducted experiments on iron-nickel alloys mixed with silicon, subjecting them to the kinds of high temperatures and pressure found in the inner core.

It discovered that the data for the mixed material observed with X-rays matched seismic data — namely, sound velocity, or seismic waves — obtained for the inner core. “Our latest experiments suggest that the remaining 5 percent of the inner core is composed mostly of silicon,” Ohtani told reporters on Wednesday. The finding helps understand whether the Earth’s surface was rich in oxygen in its early formation before photosynthesis began, as oxygen has been another potential candidate for the mystery element in the Earth’s inner core, he said. Ohtani warned that more work needs to be done to confirm his findings on silicon.

Some scientists have said that if the Earth’s inner core contains silicon, then it means the rest of the planet must have been relatively oxygen-rich at the time of its formation, because oxygen that they believe existed when the planet was formed was not confined to the inner core. However, if the mystery element in the core is oxygen, then the rest of the Earth was oxygen-poor in the beginning. Ohtani said he does not think oxygen now exists in the inner core, citing the difficulty for silicon and oxygen to coexist in the same place. “But it doesn’t necessarily mean the rest of the planet was oxygen-rich, because there is a possibility that oxygen did not exist as an element of the Earth at its formation in the first place,” he added.

The Earth is believed to be made up of three main layers: the solid outer layer where creatures, including humans live; the mantle, which is made up of hot magma and other semi-solid materials; and the core at the center. The core comprises an outer layer of liquid iron and nickel, and an inner layer — a hot dense ball of mostly iron. Ohtani presented his team’s work at a meeting last month of the American Geophysical Union in San Francisco, and is preparing to submit a research paper to a peer-reviewed scientific journal. The presentation used a method similar to that applied by his team in a study published in February last year in the peer-reviewed journal Science Advances.

Researchers near answer to mystery of Earth’s core - Taipei Times

 

[Damaged Eagle]

*****CHUCKLE*****

 

[Kosh]

Mebbe the Earth is one big computer?...

Researchers near answer to mystery of Earth’s core
Fri, Jan 13, 2017 - Japanese scientists said that silicon is likely the mystery element in the Earth’s inner core, claiming progress on solving one of the planet’s deepest secrets.

The consensus has long been that the center of the planet is composed of about 85 percent iron and 10 percent nickel, with sulfur, oxygen and silicon prime candidates for the other 5 percent. However, geophysicist Eiji Ohtani at Tohoku University in northern Japan and his research team suggested that silicon is the most likely candidate. The team conducted experiments on iron-nickel alloys mixed with silicon, subjecting them to the kinds of high temperatures and pressure found in the inner core.

It discovered that the data for the mixed material observed with X-rays matched seismic data — namely, sound velocity, or seismic waves — obtained for the inner core. “Our latest experiments suggest that the remaining 5 percent of the inner core is composed mostly of silicon,” Ohtani told reporters on Wednesday. The finding helps understand whether the Earth’s surface was rich in oxygen in its early formation before photosynthesis began, as oxygen has been another potential candidate for the mystery element in the Earth’s inner core, he said. Ohtani warned that more work needs to be done to confirm his findings on silicon.

Some scientists have said that if the Earth’s inner core contains silicon, then it means the rest of the planet must have been relatively oxygen-rich at the time of its formation, because oxygen that they believe existed when the planet was formed was not confined to the inner core. However, if the mystery element in the core is oxygen, then the rest of the Earth was oxygen-poor in the beginning. Ohtani said he does not think oxygen now exists in the inner core, citing the difficulty for silicon and oxygen to coexist in the same place. “But it doesn’t necessarily mean the rest of the planet was oxygen-rich, because there is a possibility that oxygen did not exist as an element of the Earth at its formation in the first place,” he added.

The Earth is believed to be made up of three main layers: the solid outer layer where creatures, including humans live; the mantle, which is made up of hot magma and other semi-solid materials; and the core at the center. The core comprises an outer layer of liquid iron and nickel, and an inner layer — a hot dense ball of mostly iron. Ohtani presented his team’s work at a meeting last month of the American Geophysical Union in San Francisco, and is preparing to submit a research paper to a peer-reviewed scientific journal. The presentation used a method similar to that applied by his team in a study published in February last year in the peer-reviewed journal Science Advances.

Researchers near answer to mystery of Earth’s core - Taipei Times

While it is interesting, they would have to explain how the magnetic field would work with a silicon core!

 

[yiostheoy]

The Japanese do not have much of a track record in discovering scientific data.

Whatever is at the center of the Earth, it must be hot and molten and spinning so as to create a huge magnetic field.

There are all kinds of lava, with the heaviest and hottest being mostly iron and magnesium based.

Therefore the Japanese hypothesis is probably invalid.

 

[Yarddog]

The Japanese do not have much of a track record in discovering scientific data.

Whatever is at the center of the Earth, it must be hot and molten and spinning so as to create a huge magnetic field.

There are all kinds of lava, with the heaviest and hottest being mostly iron and magnesium based.

Therefore the Japanese hypothesis is probably invalid.

Well, there is a more sinister story that has been told about the molten center....

 

[SixFoot]

Mebbe the Earth is one big computer?...

Researchers near answer to mystery of Earth’s core
Fri, Jan 13, 2017 - Japanese scientists said that silicon is likely the mystery element in the Earth’s inner core, claiming progress on solving one of the planet’s deepest secrets.

The consensus has long been that the center of the planet is composed of about 85 percent iron and 10 percent nickel, with sulfur, oxygen and silicon prime candidates for the other 5 percent. However, geophysicist Eiji Ohtani at Tohoku University in northern Japan and his research team suggested that silicon is the most likely candidate. The team conducted experiments on iron-nickel alloys mixed with silicon, subjecting them to the kinds of high temperatures and pressure found in the inner core.

It discovered that the data for the mixed material observed with X-rays matched seismic data — namely, sound velocity, or seismic waves — obtained for the inner core. “Our latest experiments suggest that the remaining 5 percent of the inner core is composed mostly of silicon,” Ohtani told reporters on Wednesday. The finding helps understand whether the Earth’s surface was rich in oxygen in its early formation before photosynthesis began, as oxygen has been another potential candidate for the mystery element in the Earth’s inner core, he said. Ohtani warned that more work needs to be done to confirm his findings on silicon.

Some scientists have said that if the Earth’s inner core contains silicon, then it means the rest of the planet must have been relatively oxygen-rich at the time of its formation, because oxygen that they believe existed when the planet was formed was not confined to the inner core. However, if the mystery element in the core is oxygen, then the rest of the Earth was oxygen-poor in the beginning. Ohtani said he does not think oxygen now exists in the inner core, citing the difficulty for silicon and oxygen to coexist in the same place. “But it doesn’t necessarily mean the rest of the planet was oxygen-rich, because there is a possibility that oxygen did not exist as an element of the Earth at its formation in the first place,” he added.

The Earth is believed to be made up of three main layers: the solid outer layer where creatures, including humans live; the mantle, which is made up of hot magma and other semi-solid materials; and the core at the center. The core comprises an outer layer of liquid iron and nickel, and an inner layer — a hot dense ball of mostly iron. Ohtani presented his team’s work at a meeting last month of the American Geophysical Union in San Francisco, and is preparing to submit a research paper to a peer-reviewed scientific journal. The presentation used a method similar to that applied by his team in a study published in February last year in the peer-reviewed journal Science Advances.

Researchers near answer to mystery of Earth’s core - Taipei Times

While it is interesting, they would have to explain how the magnetic field would work with a silicon core!

Isn't the finding only citing that mysterious 5% of material? Doesn't sound like enough insulation to block out a magnet the size of Mars.

 

[Kosh]

Mebbe the Earth is one big computer?...

Researchers near answer to mystery of Earth’s core
Fri, Jan 13, 2017 - Japanese scientists said that silicon is likely the mystery element in the Earth’s inner core, claiming progress on solving one of the planet’s deepest secrets.

The consensus has long been that the center of the planet is composed of about 85 percent iron and 10 percent nickel, with sulfur, oxygen and silicon prime candidates for the other 5 percent. However, geophysicist Eiji Ohtani at Tohoku University in northern Japan and his research team suggested that silicon is the most likely candidate. The team conducted experiments on iron-nickel alloys mixed with silicon, subjecting them to the kinds of high temperatures and pressure found in the inner core.

It discovered that the data for the mixed material observed with X-rays matched seismic data — namely, sound velocity, or seismic waves — obtained for the inner core. “Our latest experiments suggest that the remaining 5 percent of the inner core is composed mostly of silicon,” Ohtani told reporters on Wednesday. The finding helps understand whether the Earth’s surface was rich in oxygen in its early formation before photosynthesis began, as oxygen has been another potential candidate for the mystery element in the Earth’s inner core, he said. Ohtani warned that more work needs to be done to confirm his findings on silicon.

Some scientists have said that if the Earth’s inner core contains silicon, then it means the rest of the planet must have been relatively oxygen-rich at the time of its formation, because oxygen that they believe existed when the planet was formed was not confined to the inner core. However, if the mystery element in the core is oxygen, then the rest of the Earth was oxygen-poor in the beginning. Ohtani said he does not think oxygen now exists in the inner core, citing the difficulty for silicon and oxygen to coexist in the same place. “But it doesn’t necessarily mean the rest of the planet was oxygen-rich, because there is a possibility that oxygen did not exist as an element of the Earth at its formation in the first place,” he added.

The Earth is believed to be made up of three main layers: the solid outer layer where creatures, including humans live; the mantle, which is made up of hot magma and other semi-solid materials; and the core at the center. The core comprises an outer layer of liquid iron and nickel, and an inner layer — a hot dense ball of mostly iron. Ohtani presented his team’s work at a meeting last month of the American Geophysical Union in San Francisco, and is preparing to submit a research paper to a peer-reviewed scientific journal. The presentation used a method similar to that applied by his team in a study published in February last year in the peer-reviewed journal Science Advances.

Researchers near answer to mystery of Earth’s core - Taipei Times

While it is interesting, they would have to explain how the magnetic field would work with a silicon core!

Isn't the finding only citing that mysterious 5% of material? Doesn't sound like enough insulation to block out a magnet the size of Mars.

The so called magnet you are referring to is not even the size of mercury.

But to suggest that oxygen existed as the planet was forming is kind of out there! And even a small amount of silicon would have change how the magnetic field works.

Like I said this is interesting, but highly unlikely..

 

[SixFoot]

Mebbe the Earth is one big computer?...

Researchers near answer to mystery of Earth’s core
Fri, Jan 13, 2017 - Japanese scientists said that silicon is likely the mystery element in the Earth’s inner core, claiming progress on solving one of the planet’s deepest secrets.

The consensus has long been that the center of the planet is composed of about 85 percent iron and 10 percent nickel, with sulfur, oxygen and silicon prime candidates for the other 5 percent. However, geophysicist Eiji Ohtani at Tohoku University in northern Japan and his research team suggested that silicon is the most likely candidate. The team conducted experiments on iron-nickel alloys mixed with silicon, subjecting them to the kinds of high temperatures and pressure found in the inner core.

It discovered that the data for the mixed material observed with X-rays matched seismic data — namely, sound velocity, or seismic waves — obtained for the inner core. “Our latest experiments suggest that the remaining 5 percent of the inner core is composed mostly of silicon,” Ohtani told reporters on Wednesday. The finding helps understand whether the Earth’s surface was rich in oxygen in its early formation before photosynthesis began, as oxygen has been another potential candidate for the mystery element in the Earth’s inner core, he said. Ohtani warned that more work needs to be done to confirm his findings on silicon.

Some scientists have said that if the Earth’s inner core contains silicon, then it means the rest of the planet must have been relatively oxygen-rich at the time of its formation, because oxygen that they believe existed when the planet was formed was not confined to the inner core. However, if the mystery element in the core is oxygen, then the rest of the Earth was oxygen-poor in the beginning. Ohtani said he does not think oxygen now exists in the inner core, citing the difficulty for silicon and oxygen to coexist in the same place. “But it doesn’t necessarily mean the rest of the planet was oxygen-rich, because there is a possibility that oxygen did not exist as an element of the Earth at its formation in the first place,” he added.

The Earth is believed to be made up of three main layers: the solid outer layer where creatures, including humans live; the mantle, which is made up of hot magma and other semi-solid materials; and the core at the center. The core comprises an outer layer of liquid iron and nickel, and an inner layer — a hot dense ball of mostly iron. Ohtani presented his team’s work at a meeting last month of the American Geophysical Union in San Francisco, and is preparing to submit a research paper to a peer-reviewed scientific journal. The presentation used a method similar to that applied by his team in a study published in February last year in the peer-reviewed journal Science Advances.

Researchers near answer to mystery of Earth’s core - Taipei Times

While it is interesting, they would have to explain how the magnetic field would work with a silicon core!

Isn't the finding only citing that mysterious 5% of material? Doesn't sound like enough insulation to block out a magnet the size of Mars.

The so called magnet you are referring to is not even the size of mercury.

But to suggest that oxygen existed as the planet was forming is kind of out there! And even a small amount of silicon would have change how the magnetic field works.

Like I said this is interesting, but highly unlikely..

Don't you love hyperbole in a room full of nerds trying to be right?

By the way, the Earth's core (inner and outer combined) is 2,112 miles in diameter.

Mars is 2,106 miles in diameter.

 

[Old Rocks]

Mebbe the Earth is one big computer?...

Researchers near answer to mystery of Earth’s core
Fri, Jan 13, 2017 - Japanese scientists said that silicon is likely the mystery element in the Earth’s inner core, claiming progress on solving one of the planet’s deepest secrets.

The consensus has long been that the center of the planet is composed of about 85 percent iron and 10 percent nickel, with sulfur, oxygen and silicon prime candidates for the other 5 percent. However, geophysicist Eiji Ohtani at Tohoku University in northern Japan and his research team suggested that silicon is the most likely candidate. The team conducted experiments on iron-nickel alloys mixed with silicon, subjecting them to the kinds of high temperatures and pressure found in the inner core.

It discovered that the data for the mixed material observed with X-rays matched seismic data — namely, sound velocity, or seismic waves — obtained for the inner core. “Our latest experiments suggest that the remaining 5 percent of the inner core is composed mostly of silicon,” Ohtani told reporters on Wednesday. The finding helps understand whether the Earth’s surface was rich in oxygen in its early formation before photosynthesis began, as oxygen has been another potential candidate for the mystery element in the Earth’s inner core, he said. Ohtani warned that more work needs to be done to confirm his findings on silicon.

Some scientists have said that if the Earth’s inner core contains silicon, then it means the rest of the planet must have been relatively oxygen-rich at the time of its formation, because oxygen that they believe existed when the planet was formed was not confined to the inner core. However, if the mystery element in the core is oxygen, then the rest of the Earth was oxygen-poor in the beginning. Ohtani said he does not think oxygen now exists in the inner core, citing the difficulty for silicon and oxygen to coexist in the same place. “But it doesn’t necessarily mean the rest of the planet was oxygen-rich, because there is a possibility that oxygen did not exist as an element of the Earth at its formation in the first place,” he added.

The Earth is believed to be made up of three main layers: the solid outer layer where creatures, including humans live; the mantle, which is made up of hot magma and other semi-solid materials; and the core at the center. The core comprises an outer layer of liquid iron and nickel, and an inner layer — a hot dense ball of mostly iron. Ohtani presented his team’s work at a meeting last month of the American Geophysical Union in San Francisco, and is preparing to submit a research paper to a peer-reviewed scientific journal. The presentation used a method similar to that applied by his team in a study published in February last year in the peer-reviewed journal Science Advances.

Researchers near answer to mystery of Earth’s core - Taipei Times

While it is interesting, they would have to explain how the magnetic field would work with a silicon core!

Isn't the finding only citing that mysterious 5% of material? Doesn't sound like enough insulation to block out a magnet the size of Mars.

The so called magnet you are referring to is not even the size of mercury.

But to suggest that oxygen existed as the planet was forming is kind of out there! And even a small amount of silicon would have change how the magnetic field works.

Like I said this is interesting, but highly unlikely..

Valbruna UK Ltd - Stainless Steels | Nickel Alloys and Titaniums - Silicon Iron Alloys

Silicon Iron Alloys
Silicon Iron alloys are generally used in applications requiring higher electrical resistivity, higher permeability, lower coercive force and residual magnetism than provided by either carbon steels or soft magnetic stainless steels such as Magival series.

Valbruna grades of Silicon Iron alloys are classified according to the silicon content present in the chemical analysis according to the standard classifications of ASTM A867. Each single Grade has got its enhanced machiniability option where requested.

Silicon Iron alloys are normally supplied in the annealed condition since the best magnetic properties can be reached through a soft magnetic annealing carried out after part machining.

Silicon Iron alloys are very prone to get rusty under ordinary atmospheric conditions and therefore a protective coating should be applied to the heat treated parts if exposed during their life cycle.

Due to their high magnetic properties Silicon Iron alloys are mainly used in the manufacture of relays, solenoids and injector parts.

Silicon is commonly used in allows for magnets.

 

[waltky]

Uncle Ferd says, "Uh-huh...

... dat makes sense...

... sounds `bout right."