Mapping the distribution and extent of major terrain types on a planet's surface helps to constrain the origin and evolution of its crust. Together, MESSENGER and Mariner 10 observations of Mercury now provide a near-global look at the planet, revealing lateral and vertical heterogeneities in the color and thus composition of Mercury's crust. Smooth plains cover approximately 40% of the surface...

We study the effect of the magnetic field geometry on the oscillation spectra of strongly magnetized stars. We construct a configuration of magnetic field where a toroidal component is added to the standard poloidal one. We consider a star with a type I superconductor core so that both components of the magnetic field are expelled from the core and confined in the crust. Our results show that t...

The resonant excitation of neutron star (NS) modes by tides is investigated as a source of short gamma-ray burst (SGRB) precursors. We find that the driving of a crust-core interface mode can lead to shattering of the NS crust, liberating ∼10{46}-10{47}  erg of energy seconds before the merger of a NS-NS or NS-black-hole binary. Such properties are consistent with Swift/BAT detections of SGRB p...

Mineral physics observations suggest that distinct density and rheological differences exist between the crustal component of oceanic lithosphere and the underlying mantle. We have conducted numerical experiments to investigate the influence of both density and viscosity on the effectiveness of recycling of oceanic crust into the lower mantle. Confirming previous results, the density inversion ...

The exposure of 1300 meters of upper oceanic crust at the Blanc0 Fracture Zone allows near-bottom gravity measurements to determine the in situ density of the seafloor as a function of depth. Gravity measurements along the north wall of the Blanc0 Depression indicate an outcrop density of 2530 * Kg/m3 for the upper 800 meters of crust and a calculated porosity of 23%. The lower 500 meters of cr...

a r t i c l e i n f o Keywords: Lithium isotopes A-type granite Mafic enclave Continental crust Lithium concentrations and isotopic compositions of 39 A-type granites and mafic enclaves from 11 plutons in Northeast China and the North China craton are used to constrain their genesis and to characterize further the average composition of the continental crust. Lithium concentrations (2.8 to 80 p...

in this study, we used teleseismic data which was recorded by 5 stations (dhr, ghg, kom, lin and vis) of the kermanshah seismic network from 2003 to 2007 with mb?5.5 and epicentral distances from 30° to 95°. the crustal structure beneath these stations was determined by the modeling of the p receiver functions. the main phases, which were observed in our final p receiver functions, are moho con...

Phenomena such as pulsar frequency glitches are believed to be explicable in terms of a differentially rotating current of “free” superfluid neutrons at densities above the “drip” threshold in the (ionic) solid crust of a neutron star. In the preceding article of this series a microscopic quantum mechanical analysis was used to predict that the relative motion of the neutron current will be cha...

Findings of coesite and microdiamond in metamorphic rocks of supracrustal protolith led to the recognition of continental subduction to mantle depths. The crust-mantle interaction is expected to take place during subduction of the continental crust beneath the subcontinental lithospheric mantle wedge. This is recorded by postcollisional mafic igneous rocks in the Dabie-Sulu orogenic belt and it...

The present work contains some results of observations of neutron flux variations near the Earth’s surface. The Earth’s crust is determined to be a significant source of thermal and slow neutrons, originated from the interaction between the nuclei of the elements of the Earth’s crust and the atmosphere and α−particles, produced by decay of radioactive gases (Radon, Thoron and Actinon). In turn,...