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July 23, 2026Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Radial gradient of superionic hydrogen in the Earth’s inner core

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Authors

ZWZepeng WuLWLiangrui WeiCGChen Gao

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Overview

Randomized trial uncovers a radial hydrogen gradient in Earth’s inner core, suggesting a mechanism for light element distribution.

Key Points

  • To investigate the thermodynamics of superionic hydrogen and its distribution in the inner core of the Earth.
  • Computed ab initio Gibbs free energies for liquid and superionic phases of Fe–H.
  • Constructed the superionic–liquid phase diagram for pressures and temperatures relevant to the inner core.
  • Applied thermochemical constraints to analyze results and derive compositional gradients.
  • Phase diagrams at varying inner-core pressures indicate scaling by melting temperature of pure iron.
  • Reconciled discrepancies in partition coefficients among theoretical studies with experimental data at low pressures.
  • Revealed a radial gradient of superionic hydrogen that indicates a depth-dependent distribution of light elements in the inner core.

Cite This Study

Wu et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a61afaefaa9903c5116a6e4https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2604621123
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Also Consider

Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context:

  1. 1Hydrogen‐Dominated Iron Phase Stability and the Structure of the Earth's Inner Core2026
  2. 2Iron hydride FeHx in the Earth's inner core and its geophysical implications2024
  3. 3Experiments and thermodynamic modelling on Fe-FeH phase diagram under high pressures: Implications for Earth’s core composition and temperature2026
  4. 4Hydrogen and silicon are the preferred light elements in Earth’s core2024 · 23 citations
  5. 5Earth’s core composition constrained by H partitioning at the inner core boundary2024 · 1 citations