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Before Biology: Geologic Habitability and Setting the Chemical and Physical Foundations for Life

Unterborn, Cayman Thomas
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1461193916

Abstract Details

2016, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Geological Sciences.
The Earth is a habitable, dynamic planet, with plate tectonics creating a deep water and carbon cycle. These cycles regulate surface and atmospheric C and water abundances, and therefore long-term climate, which is vital to Earths habitability. The driving force behind plate tectonics is the convection of the mantle. The fact that the Earth transports its interior heat via convection instead of conduction is a result of a confluence of factors that include the internal energy budget as well as mantle size and composition. Relative to the Sun stars that host extrasolar planets vary in their refractory rock-building element proportions relative to Si by an order of magnitude. This variation will create terrestrial planets with unique mineralogies and dynamical behavior. How similar these planets are to Earth, chemically and physically, is the focus of this proposal with the end goal being to answer: “What variation in planetary chemical composition is capable of supporting the geochemical cycles necessary for life?”
Wendy Panero, Ph.D. (Advisor)
William Berry Lyons, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Jennifer Johnson, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Bernard Scott Gaudi, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
113 p.
Astronomy; Astrophysics; Geochemistry; Geological; Geophysical; Geophysics; Planetology

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Unterborn, C. T. (2016). Before Biology: Geologic Habitability and Setting the Chemical and Physical Foundations for Life [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1461193916

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Unterborn, Cayman. Before Biology: Geologic Habitability and Setting the Chemical and Physical Foundations for Life. 2016. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1461193916.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Unterborn, Cayman. "Before Biology: Geologic Habitability and Setting the Chemical and Physical Foundations for Life." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2016. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1461193916

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1461193916
398
© 2016, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.