Internet Resources

Is the Earth's magnetic field about to flip?

This Science Blog page gives an introduction to the nature and characteristics of magnetic reversals, and how this is preserved in the geologic record.

Imagining Earth's Interior

This image from the COMPRES galleries show a dozen conceptions of the structure of the deep earth. The composite image is by Ed Garnero.

Minerals in Earth's Mantle

This image from the COMPRES galleries shows the various mineral species that make up the composition of the mantle and how that composition varies with depth down to the core-mantle boundary.

Probe Earth's Interior with Advanced Radiation Sources

Visualization of the Earth's interior based on sources of radiation.

Capabilities of Experimental Apparatus

This diagram displays the pressure/temperature conditions capable of being simulated with two types of experimental equipment: Piston-Cylinder and USSA-2000. The ranges of conditions are plotted on a ...

CVD Anvil

This image is of a diamond anvil used in high pressure deformation experiments. This particular diamond was created using the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method. These artificial diamonds have ...

Links to Mineral Physics

This chart shows how mineral physics can be an important part of both research and education across the geology curriculum.

Poster - New Research Directions in High-Pressure Mineral Physics

Large image showing recent research in mineral physics and advances in technology. Features detailed diagrams of various equipment and a short explanation of mineral physics' goals.

Water in the Mantle

This schematic shows a cross-section of the planet and how water can migrate through the deep interior of the Earth. Blue arrows indicate a movement of water downward, yellow arrows indicated ...

High-Pressure Instrumentation

This diagram associates parts of the Earth's interior with particular kinds of experimental apparatus which can recreate it's pressure and temperature conditions.

Historical Views of the Earth

This composite image shows how conception of the deep interior of the planet has changed over the last ~350 years.

Current and Future Directions in High-Pressure Mineral Physics

The cover of the report "Current and Future Directions in High-Pressure Mineral Physics," showing the layers of the Earth and high-pressure equipment.

The Earth's Mantle

This illustration from Kellog, Hader, and van der Hilst (1999) shows their vision of a chemically stratified mantle perturbed by the downgoing subducted slabs of oceanic lithospere (blue).

D-DIA Apparatus

This image is a schematic of a D-DIA apparatus used for mineral deformation experiments at high temperature and pressure.

Kirscher's Earth Stucture

Athanasius Kircher's 1665 conception of the Earth's interior.

Geotherm with Pressure-Temperature Ranges Accessible by Static Techniques

This graph shows a geotherm together with the temperature and pressure ranges over which certain experimental methods are useful.

Ultrasonic Measurements Under Transition Zone Conditions

This image presents a schematic of the experimental setup used by Wang and Li (2003) to conduct ultrasonic measurements of sample deformation under transition zone conditions.

Mineralogy of Earth's Structure

Cartoon cross section of a subduction zone showing the principal mineralogy of the upper 800 km of Earth's mantle. Arc volcanism at the surface is depicted, as are upper mantle earthquakes (red dots ...

Pressure-Temperature Conditions Achievable in the Lab

Pressure-temperature conditions achievable in the laboratory for studies of the plastic behavior of materials, in comparison with the conditions inside the Earth [geotherm]

Earth Structure Cutaway

Cutaway drawing of the Earth's structure.