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Nature 425, 24-25 (4 September 2003) | doi:10.1038/425024a

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Earth science: Just add water

Albrecht W. Hofmann1

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A new model could explain why Earth's upper mantle is depleted of many trace elements. At a certain depth, minerals might release water, creating a molten filter that traps trace elements in the mantle beneath.

Sandwiched between Earth's thin crust and its metallic core lies a layer of pressurized rock at high temperature — the mantle. Convection in this layer drives plate tectonics and sea-floor spreading, but we know little about the pattern of circulation.

  1. Albrecht W. Hofmann is at the Max-Planck-Institut für Chemie, Postfach 3060, 55020 Mainz, Germany.
    Email: hofmann@mpch-mainz.mpg.de