9305894 Lay This project initiates a community-wide study of the core-mantle boundary, one of the most significant regions of our planet. As a result of the past decade's research advances, the geosciences community is on the verge of making significant breakthroughs in understanding how the Earth evolves on a global scale. Because the dynamics of the deep planetary interior involves many different facets of the Earth sciences, from geomagnetism and seismology to mineral physics and geodynamics, a multi-disciplinary approach is essential. An average of less than $30 K/yr for each investigator will allow them to pursue this effort in a truly collaborative and interdisciplinary manner. This project will yield important new observations and theoretical analyses bearing on the core-mantle boundary, and will support the participation of the broader community of interested geoscientists. Significant advances in our understanding of the Earth's geological evolution -- far beyond what would be achieved by the individual groups working separately -- will result from this collaborative, multi-disciplinary effort. ***
