Jennifer M. Jackson

1. 0.5 mm Jennifer M. Jackson http://gps.caltech.edu/~jackson Goal: Understanding the physics of Earth materials under extreme conditions How do minerals and iron-alloys behave at great depths inside the Earth? How does the variation in chemistry of Earth’s deep interior influence seismic observations and global dynamics? Examples of current research Wave velocities, crystal chemistry, and density of minerals and iron-alloys: Experiments at conditions of Earth’s deep interior. Method development: New x-ray methods to monitor melt behavior at very high-pressures and temperatures. Combining our experimental results with geophysical observations and dynamic modeling to better understand Earth’s interior. Why it matters It is either difficult or impossible to obtain samples from great depths inside the Earth, yet the behavior of these minerals and iron-alloys dictate how the whole Earth behaves. An understanding of how these materials behave at a wide-range of pressures, temperatures, and atmospheric compositions provides important clues on the formation of Earth and other planets. medium surrounding sample metal gasket • By compressing a laser-heated sample between two diamond-anvils (above), we reproduce the conditions inside Earth’s deep interior, while simultaneously probing its physical properties.