Azerbaijan National Academy of Science

A new study suggests that the heavier isotopes of iron migrate into the mantle.

The boundary between the Earth’s core and the mantle is at a depth of approximately 2,900 kilometers. In this transition, the temperature drops by more than 1,000 degrees from the hotter core to the colder mantle. The study suggests that the heavier isotopes of iron migrate to lower temperatures (into the mantle), while the lighter isotopes return to the core.

The study of physical processes occurring at the boundary of the core and mantle is important for understanding the seismic activity in the deep mantle, as well as for modeling the chemical and thermal exchange between the deep layers of the Earth and its surface.

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