Shear wave anisotropy of textured hcp-Fe in the Earth's inner core

Many seismological studies have confirmed that Vp travels 3–4% faster along the rotation axis of the Earth than along the equatorial plane in the inner core, indicating that the inner core is elastically anisotropic. However, seismic and mineral physics observations of the polarized Vs are still emerging. Thus far, the Vs anisotropy of the constitute iron crystals at relevant pressures of the Earth's core has remained mostly theoretical mainly because of the technical difficulties involved in measuring reliable Vs velocities of iron crystals. Here we have measured azimuthal Vs anisotropy of highly textured hcp-Fe at high pressures using nuclear resonant inelastic X-ray scattering, a technique sensitive to Vs, in a diamond anvil cell. Our results show that the azimuthal Vs is 2–4% faster along the crystallographic c axis than along the a axis at 158 GPa and 172 GPa. If one describes the Vp anisotropy of the inner core as a result of the textured hcp-Fe crystals, it is conceivable that azimuthal and polarized Vs anisotropies with a magnitude of a few percent also exist in the region. Since Vp and Vs of candidate iron phases behave quite differently in theoretical predictions, our results here indicate that future seismic observations of the Vs and Vp anisotropies of the inner core thus hold the key to deciphering the causes for the seismic and dynamic signatures as well as constitute iron phase(s) of the region.