* Astronomy

Research proposes new theories about nature of Earth's iron

New research challenges the prevailing theory that the unique nature of Earth's iron was the result of how its core was formed billions of years ago.
The study opens the door to competing theories about why levels of certain heavy forms of iron, known as isotopes, are higher on Earth than in other bodies in the solar system. The prevailing view attributes the Earth's anomalous iron composition to the formation of the planet's core. But the study published Feb. 20 in Nature Communications suggests that the peculiar iron's isotopic signature developed later in Earth's history, possibly created by a collision between Earth and another planetary body that vaporized the lighter iron isotopes, or the churning of Earth's mantle, drawing a disproportionate amount of heavy iron isotopes to Earth's crust from its mantle.
Read more