Research Center for Neutrino Science, Tohoku University has greatly improved the measurement accuracy of antineutrinos from radioactive decay in the Earth interior through the long-term observation by Kamioka Liquid Scintillator Anti-Neutrino Detector (KamLAND). Based on the comparison with heat flux on the Earth surface, we have revealed at the first time in the world that heat from radioactive decay contributes about half of Earth's total heat flux, and have indicated that Earth's primordial heat supply has still remained. The research results have been published online in Nature GeoScience on July 18. The paper's title is "Partial radiogenic heat model for Earth revealed by geoneutrino measurements".

More information (Japanese)

[Contact]

Professor Kunio Inoue

Research Center for Neutrino Science, Tohoku University

TEL: +81-22-795-6722

E-mail: inoue*awa.tohoku.ac.jp (Replace * with @)

Website: http://www.awa.tohoku.ac.jp/kamland/