Scientists now say they may be wrong about inner Earth mantle

Illustration of inner Earthhuffingtonpost.comMaybe we were mistaken about Earth's mantle, the layer of our rocky planet that lies between its core and the thin crust on which we live. For years, earth scientists were convinced that the mantle's entire lower region--which stretches from 400 to 1,800 miles below the surface--was composed of a particular structure of a mineral known as ferromagnesian silicate perovskite. But now a new study conducted at Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois suggests that the extreme pressure and temperature (more than 3,500 degrees Fahrenheit) that exist about 1,200 miles below the surface cause the mineral to break into two distinct phases. One layer is nearly devoid of iron, according to a written statement released by the lab.



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