Deep Earth and Planets

The Earth’s inner core, outer core, lower mantle, upper mantle, the lithosphere, the surfaces and interiors of the Moon, Mars and Venus, meteorites, and, icy moons.

We seek to understand large scale features and processes underpinning the evolution of Earth and other planets over their geological history. Planetary accretion, magma ocean crystallisation, core composition and dynamics, mantle convection, mineral rheology, melting behaviours and deep chemical recycling of surface materials are all processes that play an important role in our understanding of how the fundamental processes occurring on Earth and other planets work and evolve through time. Collectively we seek to investigate these topics by performing mineralogical, petrological, dynamical and seismological studies of planetary materials and interiors using a range of experimental and computational techniques.

Research Staff:

Prof Dario Alfè, Dr Maxim Ballmer, Prof John Brodholt, Prof David Dobson, Prof Ana Ferreira, Dr Steve Hicks, Prof Tom Mitchell, Dr Alex Song, Dr Andrew Thomson, Prof Lidunka Vočadlo & Prof Ian Wood

Within the group we have extensive expertise in the fields of computational and experimental mineral physics. Utilising computational ab initio methods, amongst other topics, we seek to elucidate the composition, physical properties and melting behaviour of core materials on Earth, the Moon and other planets. In the lab our experimental group members synthesise and test material properties including salty ices that might be present on Europa, hydrous phases present in subducting slabs and minerals believed to be present throughout the Earth’s deep mantle and core. These experiments are conducted using our extensive cold room, crystallography, spectroscopy and high pressure laboratories using devices including cold seal vessels, piston cylinders, multi anvils and diamond anvil cells both at UCL and at international facilities.

Beyond mineral physics we also have strong expertise in geodynamic simulations and seismology, seeking to use fluid dynamics to predict the style and vigour of convection within the interior of Earth and distant exoplanets as well as working somewhat closer to home leading international projects deploying ocean bottom seismometers to uncover the structure and workings of the interior of Earth.

Laboratories and Research Groups:

Associated research groups:
Crystallography and Mineral Physics Group
Deep Volatiles
Seismolab

The Earth Sciences department:

All Facilities
Research Groups
PhD Opportunities