Schematic of Early Earth Merger with Mercury-Like Protoplanet (IMAGE)

Rice University

Schematic of Early Earth Merger with Mercury-Like Protoplanet

Caption

A schematic depiction of early Earth's merger with an embryonic planet similar to Mercury, a scenario supported by new high-pressure, high-temperature experiments at Rice University. Magma ocean processes could lead planetary embryos to develop silicon- or sulfur-rich metallic cores and carbon-rich outer layers. If Earth merged with such a planet early in its history, it could explain how Earth acquired its carbon and sulfur.

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Rajdeep Dasgupta

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