Dynamic processes shape the Earth and other planets throughout their history. Geochemical observations place major constraints on dynamical processes that operated throughout Earth’s history while seismic imaging gives a snapshot of today’s mantle. Knowledge of physical properties and rheology from mineral physics is key to quantify processes in the mantle, and is undergoing constant advances (e.g. related to the iron spin transition or the thermal conductivity of the core). Magma ocean crystallisation established the initial conditions for subsequent long-term Earth evolution but is not well understood and typically not considered in models of long-term evolution. Modern-day plate tectonics may not have operated in the past; there is active debate about what tectonic mode(s) may have preceded it and their geological and geochemical signatures.

This session aims to provide a multidisciplinary view of the dynamics and evolution of the Earth, including its mantle, lithosphere, core and atmosphere. We welcome contributions that address aspects of this problem including geochemical observations and their interpretation, new mineral physics findings, geodynamical modelling, and seismological observations, on temporal scales ranging from the present day to billions of years, and on spatial scales ranging from microscopic mineralogical samples to global models. Contributions that take a multidisciplinary approach are particularly welcome.

Invited speaker: Matthew Jackson, Saskia Goes, Lorenzo Colli, Paula Koelemeijer