Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • News & Views
  • Published:

Planetary science

The core of planet formation

Nature volume 422, pages 126–127 (2003)Cite this article

The rocky bodies from which the Earth formed may have already separated into a metal core and silicate shell. Innovative experiments exploring the behaviour of molten metal trapped between silicate grains suggest how.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: Timing of core formation.
Figure 2: Degrees of separation.

References

  1. Yoshino, T., Walter, M. J. & Katsura, T. Nature 422, 154–157 (2003).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Yin, Q. et al. Nature 418, 949–952 (2002).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Kleine T., Münker, C., Mezger, K. & Palme, H. Nature 418, 952–955 (2002).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. von Bargen, N. & Waff, H. S. J. Geophys. Res. 91, 9261–9276 (1986).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  5. Ghosh, A. & McSween, H. Y. Icarus 134, 187–206 (1998).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Bruhn, D., Growbner, N. & Kohlstedt, D. L. Nature 403, 883–886 (2000).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Roberts, J. J., Tyburczy, J. A., Locke, D., Minarik, W. & Kinney, J. Eos 83, F400 (2002).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, 20742

    Bill Minarik

  2. Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, DC, 20015, USA

    Bill Minarik

Authors
  1. Bill Minarik
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Bill Minarik.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Minarik, B. The core of planet formation. Nature 422, 126–127 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/422126a

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/422126a

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing