Iron sulfide sails through the Grand Tack

Abstract

Geochemistry A long-standing problem in geochemistry is the sequestration of iron-loving elements into the core of early Earth. Rather than causing the observed depletion of these elements in the mantle, Rubie et al. contend that metal segregation during the formation of Earth's core should have increased mantle concentrations. This is because of the high-pressure conditions of core formation that prevailed for Earth when Jupiter was executing its “Grand Tack” through the solar system. The sulfur concentrations in the magma oceans of early Earth became very high during accretion and, as Earth cooled, liquid iron sulfide stripped the mantle of the iron-loving elements, explaining the observed depletion. Science , this issue p. [1141][1] [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.aaf6919