EarthRef.org Digital Archive (ERDA) -- Major Element Composition of the Core vs the Bulk Earth

Description
This data table contains the percentage values of composition for the major earth elements in the core and bulk earth. The determined values are based on many combined sources such as: meteorites, seismic data, Earth's density, crust composition data, and abundance of elements within the universe. For example, according to the table the core is comprised of approximately 80% Iron (Fe). A core comprised of mostly iron establishes an appropriate density to establish a global density of 5.515 g/cm^3. This is supported due to iron being the only metal at a large enough abundance in the universe to comprise an area the size of the core. Also, the Earth's magnetic field is generated from within the core due to a convecting metal. Based on lab experiments and calculations, the core can't be entirely composed of iron because the earth would be more dense if it were. Therefore, a number of lighter elements are also believed to be present, specifically those that have an affinity for iron (i.e. sulfer).

Copyright Owner
Enduring Resources for Earth Science Education (ERESE)

Copyright Description
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