Toronto, Canada – New research conducted by a team of scientists led by physicist Charles-Édouard Boukaré from York University is transforming our understanding of Earth’s early days. The study, recently published in the journal Nature, delves into how our planet’s deep interior solidified just 100 million years after its formation, shaping the geology we see today. This groundbreaking research challenges existing theories in planetary science and offers valuable insights into the evolution of rocky planets, both within and outside our solar system.
During Earth’s infancy, it was a seething magma ocean, a chaotic blend of molten silicates surrounding a liquid core. As the planet gradually cooled, the interior began to solidify. Prior models believed this solidification process occurred slowly under intense pressure, influencing the chemistry of the lower mantle, the extensive layer above the core. However, Boukaré’s team introduced a new physical model that simulates the formation of molten rock crystals as the mantle solidified, revealing that the majority of crystals formed near the surface at low pressure rather than deep underground. This suggests that the composition of Earth’s lower mantle was shaped by processes occurring at the planet’s surface during its early stages.
Utilizing a multiphase flow approach, researchers simulated how various materials in Earth’s molten mantle reacted under planetary-scale conditions. As the mantle cooled, solid particles formed, sank, or floated based on their densities, creating distinct layers with unique chemical signatures. Drawing parallels to human development, Boukaré likened the chaotic, high-energy processes that shaped Earth’s lower mantle in its first 100 million years to the behavior of energetic children.
Some crystal patterns observed in the model may offer insight into conditions that existed before Earth’s full formation, possibly predating the planet’s assembly. These findings not only redefine the timeline of Earth’s geological evolution but also hint at the possibility of uncovering similar clues about the early histories of other rocky planets.
By establishing a connection between early thermal and chemical conditions and present-day planetary structures, the model developed by Boukaré’s team could potentially forecast the evolution of other planets, including exoplanets. Understanding how planets evolve based on initial conditions and the fundamental processes of planetary evolution is essential for deciphering key elements like habitability, internal dynamics, and magnetic field generation that are crucial for supporting life on various celestial bodies. As scientists continue to compare Earth with neighboring rocky planets like Mars, Mercury, and Venus, this research provides a new framework for decoding what lies beneath a planet’s surface through a deep dive into its formative years.