- #1
Loren Booda
- 3,125
- 4
Do planets that undergo a gradual cooling inward of a liquid core in essence perform zone refining, like that used to purify silicon for semiconductors? Starting with a solidifying crust, the crystallization of molten rock selectively freezes out first the materials with both the lowest melting points and least density, pushing elements like tungsten and uranium toward the center. How closely would the geological compositions of the Earth and other terrestrial planets (especially once solidified) bear out this pattern? At what level would you most likely find crystalline matter?