Earth's core turns out to be the world's largest carbon store
Scientists from Florida State University and Rice University (USA) have estimated the amount of carbon in the Earth's core. The results showed that the nucleus may be the largest storage facility for this substance on the planet, according to Communications Earth & Environment.
So, carbon makes up from 0.3 to 2% of the outer core – from 5.5 to 36.8 × 10 ^ 24 grams. Previous analysis has shown that the core of the planet is composed primarily of iron. But its density is lower than it should have been – therefore, light elements are also present in its composition. According to the authors of the scientific work, one of them is carbon.
Previously, the total amount of carbon on the planet was established. The range was 990 to 6400 parts per million (ppm). Comparing the data, scientists have come to the conclusion that the Earth's core contains 93-95% of all carbon reserves.
It is not yet possible to get direct access to the kernel. Therefore, indirect methods are used to analyze it. In a new study, scientists compared the speed of sound waves traveling through the center of the planet to computer simulations involving different compositions of iron, carbon and other elements.
“When the speed of sound waves in our simulations matched the observed speed of sound waves passing through the Earth, we knew that our model matched the actual chemical composition of the outer core,” the scientists noted.
By assessing the amount of carbon on Earth, scientists will be able to better understand both the properties of the Earth and the structure of other rocky planets in other parts of the universe. Earlier it became known that carbon emissions also occur on the moon. They were recorded by a Japanese apparatus.
