Geophysical and geochemical constraints on core formation and evolution, including role (or otherwise) of giant impacts, early magma oceans, nature of light elements in the core, and the possibility of radioactivity in the core. Timing and duration of core formation, evidence for continuing core/mantle interaction.

Discussion Leader: Bernie Wood b.j.wood@bristol.ac.uk

Review: David Stevenson - Formation of Earth's Core

Review: Bill McDonough - The Earth's Core: its composition,formation, and evolution

Experimental and computational results on the thermoelastic and transport properties of iron and relevant alloys. Elasticity at inner core conditions, phase diagrams and temperatures near the center of the Earth. Properties of materials relevant to the lowermost mantle.

Discussion Leader: Guy Masters gmasters@ucsd.edu

Review: Michael Brown - Core Constituents under Core Conditions

Short Review: Don Weidner - Properties of Perovskites and effects on the Lower Mantle

Thermal constraints on the evolution of the core, the timing and formation of the inner core, the likely heat flow out of the core. Paleomagnetic issues concerning the longevity of the field, Archean paleointensities, changing reversal rates through Earth’s history, and average magnetic fields with substantial non-dipolar field contributions.

Discussion Leader: Bruce Buffett buffett@geop.ubc.ca

Review: David Gubbins - Thermal History of the Geodynamo

Short Review: Jeff Gee - An evaluation of Precambrian Paleomagnetic Data

Seismological constraints on structure in the inner core and in the vicinity of the inner-core boundary. Constraints from both free-oscillations and body wave studies—do they agree? Inner core superrotation. Need for anomalous velocity gradients near the ICB. Mechanisms of generating inner core anisotropy.

Geomagnetic field structure and dynamics in the outer core, including the primary influences on flow in the outer part of Earth’s core, and whether or not it is stratified. Core-mantle coupling. Time scales include everything from magnetic jerks, to decadal secular variations from current and past magnetic satellite missions, through historical, archeomagnetic, and paleomagnetic field behavior for the past few million years.

Many numerical geodynamo models have proved capable of reproducing some gross features of the geomagnetic field, despite lying far from the appropriate parameter regime for Earth. Statistical properties of their observed secular variations often fail to match those inferred from paleomagnetic observations. All kinds of dynamo models will be discussed, but emphasis should be on those that will help inform us better about geomagnetic field behavior and evolution. Will the Ekman number problem be resolved by ever-increasing resolution, or can other approaches help such as characterization of turbulence either computationally or experimentally? Is there a common response amongst the various kinds of models to differences in boundary conditions, and can the most important influences be identified? Can numerical dynamo models help us understand how and why the geomagnetic field reverses?

Seismological,chemical, and mineral physics constraints on the structure of hot abyssal layers, D", discontinuities, Vp/Vs ratios, density structure, ULVZs, core rigidity zones, attenuation, anisotropy. Partial melting, core/mantle chemical interactions, and core-mantle coupling.

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