Laboratory Experiments on the Dynamics of the Core

Many innovative laboratory experiments have been used to investigate the fluid dynamics of the Earth's core. Experiments with liquid metals and non-metals range from turbulence and waves in the outer core to creeping flow in the inner core, and include the effects of rotation (steady and variable), thermal and chemical convection, spherical geometry, magnetic fields, melting and solidification. In this review, the strengths and limitations of laboratory fluid experiments are analyzed by comparing their dynamical similarity with the corresponding geophysical processes in the core. Recent advances in several areas are highlighted, including variable rotation dynamics, convection in liquid metals, the effects of magnetic fields on fluid motions, experimental dynamos, flow in the solid inner core, and metal-silicate interactions during core formation. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.