Potassium (K) informs on the radiogenic heat production, atmospheric composition, and volatile element depletion of the Earth and other planetary systems. Constraints on the abundance of K in the Earth, Moon, and other rocky bodies have historically hinged on K/U values measured in planetary materials, particularly comparisons of the continental crust and mid‐ocean ridge basalts (MORBs), for developing compositional models of the bulk silicate Earth (BSE). However, a consensus on the most representative K/U value for global MORB remains elusive despite numerous studies. Here, we statistically analyze a critical compilation of MORB data to determine the K/U value of the MORB source. Covariations in the log‐normal abundances of K and U establish that K is 3–7 times less incompatible than U during melting and/or crystallization processes, enabling inverse modeling to infer the K/U of the MORB source region. These comprehensive data have a mean K/U for global MORB = 13,900
We report the Earth's rate of radiogenic heat production and (anti)neutrino luminosity from geologically relevant short‐lived radionuclides (SLR) and long‐lived radionuclides (LLR) using decay constants from the geological community, updated nuclear physics parameters, and calculations of the
The radiogenic heating rate of Earth‐like material at solar system formation was some 10
- Award ID(s):
- 1650365
- NSF-PAR ID:
- 10359774
- Publisher / Repository:
- DOI PREFIX: 10.1029
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems
- Volume:
- 21
- Issue:
- 7
- ISSN:
- 1525-2027
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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