Project description
Innovative techniques for the study of Earth's history
The principle of uniformitarianism suggests that Earth has always changed in uniform ways. However, other hypotheses, non-uniformitarian ones for instance, also aim to explain Earth’s evolution. The EU-funded NONUNE project will apply innovative techniques to study the two major events that preceded the principle of uniformitarianism. The project will search for crystallised remnants of the primordial terrestrial magma ocean that explain the early evolution of terrestrial planets. It will also consider mantle dynamics, which studies the evolution of Earth and solid planets under the action of thermal convection. NONUNE project will apply pioneering methods using the tribrid mass-spectrometer Proteus to perform coupled first-principles calculations and petrological experiments and date the global beginning of plate tectonics.
Objective
The project will use a set of innovative techniques to study the two major events that precede classical, uniformitarian geology. We will search for crystallised remnants of the primordial terrestrial magma ocean and examine the consequences of our observations for mantle dynamics. Crystallisation of the dominant lower mantle phase, bridgmanite, imparts a Mg and Si isotopic fingerprint to cumulates and evolving liquid of the magma ocean. Identifying the relicts of these small but distinctive fractionations requires application of our bespoke, high precision analytical protocols. As an integral part of this work, we will undertake coupled first principles calculations and petrological experiments to provide a benchmark documentation of the isotopic fractionations experienced by these two most abundant cation-forming elements in the silicate Earth. We will also date the global onset of plate tectonics from complementary geochemical signatures in two little-studied detrital minerals; Pb enrichment in continental K-feldspars and Mo depletion in rutiles from exhumed fragments of subducted crust. This work uses ground-breaking methodologies made possible by our unique, tribrid (mass-filter:collision-cell:multicollector) mass-spectrometer, Proteus. We will further develop this technology in collaboration with Thermo Fisher to produce a yet more capable next generation instrument. Our tribrid mass-spectrometer allows us to date single, detrital K-feldspars by laser ablation, using Rb-Sr internal isochrons constructed with analyses of host feldspar and sodic perthite exsolutions. Coupled with in situ Pb isotope analysis, we can calculate the U/Pb of the feldspar’s crustal protolith, which diagnostically tracks contributions from subduction.
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: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences earth and related environmental sciences geology
- natural sciences physical sciences optics laser physics
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
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.
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H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
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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.
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.
ERC-ADG - Advanced Grant
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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.
(opens in new window) ERC-2019-ADG
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
BS8 1QU BRISTOL
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.