Earth factories: Creation of the elements from nuclear transmutation in Earth’s lower mantle

Abstract

Stellar nucleosynthesis is a widely acknowledged theory for the formation of all elements in our universe; traditionally, we say that the highest mass stars transmuted lighter elements into heavier elements lighter than iron. Here, we propose that the formation of 25 elements with smaller atomic numbers than iron resulted from an endothermic nuclear transformation of two nuclei confined in the natural compound lattice core of the Earth’s lower mantle at high temperatures and pressures. This process is accompanied by the generation of neutrinos and is influenced by excited electrons generated by stick-sliding during supercontinent evolution, mantle convection triggered by major asteroid collisions, and nuclear fusion in the Earth’s core. Therefore, our study suggests that the Earth itself has been able to create lighter elements by nuclear transmutation.