Scientific Opportunities: Geo & Environmental Sciences

Overview | Earth and Planetary Science | Environmental Science

Earth and Planetary Science

A seismologist's view of the Earth. Red regions indicate slow sound wave velocities, blue are fast. This structure may represent the flow pattrens of hot (slow) material rising with sinking cold (slow) regions.

The evolution of the Earth and other planets is a vast process lasting billions of years. It involves huge amounts of materials (crystalline and molten silicates, metals, and volatile constituents) at temperatures from near absolute zero to several thousand degrees, and pressures from a fraction to millions of atmospheres. The present state of the Earth, as well as its evolution through time, is governed by the properties of these materials. Their properties at the relevant conditions of pressure, temperature, and stress dictate the red and blue regions of a seismic tomographic image (see figure), or control the depth and time history of earthquakes. These materials also define the frequencies of the oscillations of the Earth and the rate that plates slide over the surface.

With the development of synchrotron radiation and high-pressure techniques, experimental studies of earth materials are yielding an unprecedented surge of breakthroughs that were deemed inconceivable a decade ago. Synchrotron sources have fundamentally altered the nature of high-pressure experimentation, from reconnaissance studies with limited capabilities to high-precision studies with comprehensive material characterization over a wide range of pressures and temperatures. By studying the materials of which the Earth is made, high-pressure research using synchrotron high-energy x-ray and infrared radiation has contributed significantly to understanding of the phenomena, processes, and state of the Earth. This information allows addressing issues that range from the chemical heterogeneity of the Earth's interior to the processes responsible for deep focus earthquakes.

The brilliant x-ray light produced at NSLS-II will accelerate this advancement, such as providing the flux necessary to perform greater-depth high-pressure and temperature studies using diamond anvil cells. High-pressure phonon studies will also be possible, which will yield information on the seismic conditions deep within the Earth. Other studies on melting and phases will also be possible.

Last Modified: March 4, 2008
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One of ten national laboratories overseen and primarily funded by the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Brookhaven National Laboratory conducts research in the physical, biomedical, and environmental sciences, as well as in energy technologies and national security. Brookhaven Lab also builds and operates major scientific facilities available to university, industry and government researchers. Brookhaven is operated and managed for DOE’s Office of Science by Brookhaven Science Associates, a limited-liability company founded by Stony Brook University, the largest academic user of Laboratory facilities, and Battelle, a nonprofit, applied science and technology organization.

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