Project Grant 2212068

This National Science Foundation Project Grant under the Geosciences program (CFDA 47.050) totaling $389,009 was awarded to the California Institute of Technology on August 1, 2022 to fund research exploring the composition of Earth's core through July 31, 2025. The awardee will apply a multi-technique approach combining synchrotron Mössbauer spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction to detect melting of iron alloys including iron-nickel and iron-nickel-silicon at pressures equivalent to Earth's core. This will help place tighter constraints on Earth's core temperature profile and assess silicon's effect on melting temperatures of core materials, addressing uncertainties in current models. Broader impacts include engagement with the Caltech Seismological Laboratory's Earthquake Fellows program to bring geophysical science to underrepresented communities in southern California and provide STEM skills development opportunities.