'Electric Earth' Could Explain Planet's Rotation

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'Electric Earth' Could Explain Planet's Rotation

Posted by Soulskill on Saturday January 21, 2012 @08:53AM from the thought-it-was-gas-powered dept.

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."

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arXiv link by fishicist · 2012-01-21 09:00 · Score: 5, Informative

Full text available on the arXiv, for those without a subscription to PRL: http://arxiv.org/abs/1112.5068
Not to be confused with.... by tverbeek · 2012-01-21 09:04 · Score: 4, Informative

Not to be confused with the Electric Universe Theory.

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Iron Monoxide? by Doctor+Morbius · 2012-01-21 09:06 · Score: 5, Informative

FeO is Ferrous Oxide not Iron Monoxide.

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1. Re:Iron Monoxide? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-21 10:01 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  They are synonyms according to Chemical Book.
2. Re:Iron Monoxide? by Tacvek · 2012-01-21 12:12 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  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".
  
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Re:Magnetic field + conductor = Electricity? by John+Hasler · 2012-01-21 10:06 · Score: 4, Informative

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.

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Re:Magnetic field + conductor = Electricity? by dak664 · 2012-01-21 13:12 · Score: 5, Informative

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.