Project description
Investigating how magma oceans evolved
The early history of rocky planets was marked by magma oceans, vast oceans of molten rock. These fiery seas determined how vital elements – iron, hydrogen and carbon – were distributed, influencing planets’ cooling and long-term evolution. However, the details of what happened deep within molten layers remain a mystery. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the REPAMO project will investigate how redox states and element partitioning change with depth in magma oceans. Molecular dynamics simulations and machine learning techniques will enable researchers to model how these elements behave during crystallisation and how magma properties evolve. Project findings will help predict how planets cool and develop over time, offering valuable insights for understanding Earth, other planets and even exoplanets.
Objective
Planetary magma oceans represent a defining stage of rocky planet evolution, where redox processes and element partitioning set the trajectory for mantle composition, cooling, and volatile distribution. Yet the extent of FeO disproportionation, the resulting ferric iron ratio, and the partitioning of key elements (Fe, H, and C) during crystallization remain poorly constrained, particularly under lower-mantle conditions. This project, REPAMO, will establish a multi-scale computational framework to quantify depth-dependent redox states and their control on melt properties, melting relations, and element partitioning. Ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) combined with thermodynamic integration will quantify ferric iron ratios in the magma ocean from the disproportionation reaction and determine partition coefficients of Fe, H, and C during crystallization. These AIMD datasets will be used to train machine-learning interatomic potentials, which will extend accuracy to large-scale two-phase coexistence simulations. This will enable direct extraction of element distributions, melt properties, and liquidus relations during crystallization. Finally, these results will be integrated into models of magma ocean cooling to predict crystallization pathways and redox-dependent thermal histories of terrestrial planets. The project supports Horizon Europe's Strategic Plan (2025–2027) on planetary formation, volatile cycles, and habitability (Cluster 4, Destination 5), and will provide predictive datasets directly relevant to ESA missions such as EnVision and ARIEL, as well as exoplanetary modeling efforts.
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.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
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.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
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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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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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.
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.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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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) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF
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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.
75238 Paris
France
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.