“Planetary Differentiation on Earth and its Implications: From The Solar Nebula to Today” with Kevin Wheeler (Feb 2007)

Originally presented 10 Feb 2007

Where Is He Now?  http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/about-ldeo/alumni/alumni-profile-kevin-wheeler-usaid-phd-07

We are pleased to feature Kevin Wheeler, who will defend his doctoral dissertation within the next month or so. Kevin completes five years of studying  the chemical composition of the Earth’s core, and the impact it has on the rest of the planet. His talk is entitled “Planetary Differentiation on Earth and Its Implications: From the Solar Nebula to Today.” Here’s a chance to learn about planetary accretion, recent results of petrological research, and how investigators use such elements as U, Pd, and Ag to interpret Earth’s history.

Kevin grew up in Virginia and majored in Geology at Brown University. At Columbia during the past five years, Kevin has been investigatingthe chemical composition of the earth’s core and the impact it has on the rest of the planet. After he defends his dissertation, Kevin will take up a position at a consulting firm in Houston.

 Cutting-Edge Research

Click for Kevin Wheeler’s Presentation

Other Resources for This Topic

“Iron’Jet Stream’ Detected in Earth’s Outer Core”  (BBC News 19 Dec 2016)

“New Candidate for ‘Missing’ Element in the Core”  (BBC News 10 Jan 2017)

Below are online resources suggested by Kevin Wheeler to enhance your understanding about “The Search for Planetary Differentiation”

More details about some topics in this workshop can be learned through W.M. White, Cornell University EAS 656 Geochemistry lecture notes 

Additional useful information can be found in Idaho State University’s “Planetary Geology for Teachers”

Useful information from Starry Skies 

Good information from Planetary Science Research Discoveries

A general explanation of nebulae for the “general audience” 

Windows to the Universe “Planetary Nebulae”

Some other resources identified by a DLESE search include:

Earth’s Internal Heat Energy and Interior Structures: http://www.geology.sdsu.edu/how_volcanoes_work/Heat.html 

Arthur Ross Hall of Meteorites http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/permanent/meteorites/

Exploring Planets in the Classroom: Meteorites: http://www.spacegrant.hawaii.edu/class_acts/Meteor.html

Formation of the Solar System: http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/faculty/barnes/ast110_01/fotss.html

Multimedia

Origin of the Solar System (3.4 Mbyte avi animation).Clip of the NASA movie I Will See Such Things, from web site http://spaceart.com .

Images from this Workshop (courtesy of Greg G. Hofer)