'Electric Earth' Could Explain Planet's Rotation

sciencehabit writes "When it comes to Earth's rotation, you might think geophysicists have pretty much everything figured out. Not quite. In order to explain some variations in the way our planet spins, Earth's mantle — the layer of hot, softened rock that lies between the crust and core — must conduct electricity, an ability that the mantle as we know it shouldn't have. Now, a new study (academic paper) finds that iron monoxide, which makes up 9% of the mantle, actually does conduct electricity just like a metal, but only at temperatures and pressures found far beneath the surface."

Comments

arXiv link

[fishicist]

Full text available on the arXiv, for those without a subscription to PRL: http://arxiv.org/abs/1112.5068

Not to be confused with....

[tverbeek]

Not to be confused with the Electric Universe Theory.

Re:Not to be confused with....

[PopeRatzo]

It's not connected in the same way that the Jimi Hendrix album Electric Ladyland is not connected.

You haven't listened to Electric Ladyland the way I've listened to Electric Ladyland.

It's connected to everything. Listen to side three after a couple of hits of the orange sunshine and tell me it's not.

I remember one time, I was out on the back porch of my friend's place up in Wisconsin, and I was staring up at the night sky just as I was peaking and and about halfway through side 3, when "1983... (A Merman I Should Turn to Be) " is really starting to take off and you could see the Milky Way and Hendrix is like "...giant pencil and lipstick-tube shaped things continue to rain and cause screaming pain and the arctic stains from silver-blue to bloody red as our feet find the sand..."

Man, everything is connected to everything.

Don't tell me about no "electric universe theory". Dude, I live there. :)

Iron Monoxide?

[Doctor Morbius]

FeO is Ferrous Oxide not Iron Monoxide.

Re:Iron Monoxide?

[Anonymous Coward]

They are synonyms according to Chemical Book.

Re:Iron Monoxide?

[Tacvek]

FeO has not been Ferrous Oxide in many years.

As of the IUPAC Redbook 2005, the preferred name would be "Iron(II) Oxide", however the name "Iron Monoxide" is a valid stoichiometric name for the substance.

The classic name "Ferrous Oxide" is no longer considered acceptable. I quote from Table III's second definition of the suffix "-ous":

Ending formerly added to stems of element names to indicate a lower oxidation state, e.g.
ferrous chloride, cuprous oxide, cerous hydroxide. Such names are no longer acceptable.

The "-ous" suffix is still permitted as part of acid names like "seleninous acid", or "arsorous acid".

Re:Magnetic field + conductor = Electricity?

[John Hasler]

Of course, his work was buried so Edison could make a buck with inferior technology.

There's a problem with your theory. His name was George Westinghouse.

Re:Physics Question.

[Anonymous Coward]

The problem is you need a circuit to tap that "free" electricty. And guess what? That circuit will be a conductor equally moving through space at the same time. Therefore, potential difference = 0. QED.

Why are there SO many scientifically illiterate people on Slashdot? Is it because programming is neither science nor engineering, but depends on both to exist?

Re:Magnetic field + conductor = Electricity?

[dak664]

Path of least resistance does not apply to electricity. It follows every field gradient and takes every path as fast as it can. The current through each path is limited by the reduction of the gradient caused by the charge already along the path, a.k.a. resistance.