Objective
The Earth formed ~ 4.5 billion years ago, from accreting particles of dust and primitive meteorites. It is the only habitable planet in our solar system and has a unique history of extended accretion and core formation coupled with active plate tectonics. Accretion and core formation would have defined the initial elemental composition of the Earth’s interior whereas plate tectonic processes controlled chemical exchange between the Earth’s surface and interior and the distribution of elements between major geochemical reservoirs. The overarching goal of this proposal is to define the roles of these processes in the chemical evolution of the Earth and hence in the creation of a habitable planet.
In order to achieve this goal I propose to investigate the partitioning of new stable isotope systems such as Ge and Se in high-pressure experiments that simulate core formation. This novel, multidisciplinary approach will provide some of the first direct constraints on the extent to which these volatile elements were partitioned into the core. We will use this information to address the fundamental issue of whether the Earth acquired its volatile elements inventory early, during core formation, or subsequently, as part of a “late veneer”. The second major theme of the proposed research uses Fe, Zn, Mo and Se stable isotopes to trace the cycling of Fe and S during subduction, the tectonic process where one plate sinks beneath another and is recycled into the Earth’s deep interior. The goal of this project is to understand the impact of subduction on the chemical and redox evolution of the Earth’s interior and the relationship between tectonic recycling and the rise of oxygen in the Earth’s atmosphere ~ 2.5 billion years ago. This theme will focus on samples of relict subducted plate material and of the Earth’s interior, obtained as fragments sampled by lavas or as ancient minerals trapped within diamonds.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
- engineering and technology environmental engineering waste management waste treatment processes recycling
- humanities history and archaeology history
- natural sciences physical sciences astronomy planetary sciences meteorites
- natural sciences physical sciences astronomy planetary sciences planets
- natural sciences earth and related environmental sciences geology seismology plate tectonics
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
ERC-2012-StG_20111012
See other projects for this call
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Host institution
CB2 1TN CAMBRIDGE
United Kingdom
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.