"For years, scientists believed that changes in the Earth's interior, such as volcanic eruptions and tectonic plate collisions, primarily affected the surface environment."
"(...) a new study published in Nature Communications has revealed a surprising new aspect: solar radiation can also affect the Earth's deep interior."
Solar radiation varies with latitude, creating temperature gradients on the sea surface that affect the distribution of marine life. These carbon-rich organisms are transported into the Earth's interior by the subduction of oceanic plates. Researchers from the Institute of Geology and Geophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have discovered that this process significantly affects the redox state of arc magma.
(Sun's influence on earth's deep interior. Credit: Chinese Academy of Sciences)
The "redox" state of arc magma refers to the balance between reducing (losing oxygen or gaining electrons) and oxidizing (gaining oxygen or losing electrons) conditions within magma formed in volcanic arcs. Marine organisms serve as organic carbon and act as a major reducer for the solid Earth. Consequently, the redox state of arc magma can reflect how the sun's influence penetrates deep into the Earth."
