When Geosciences Meet Physics and Chemistry: 

Exploring the Extremes of Materials

The research interests of the Extreme Conditions Laboratory at Institute of Earth Sciences, Academia Sinica, focus on exploring physical and chemical properties of materials under extreme conditions, e.g., extremely high pressure (higher than 100 GPa), high/low temperature (tens to thousands of Kelvin), and short time scale (picoseconds to nanoseconds). These extreme conditions not only simulate the environments in the Earth and planetary interiors, but also allow us to study and synthesize novel energy-related materials. Our ultimate goals are to understand various exciting topics on mineral physics, geodynamics, seismology, and thermochemical evolution in Earth and planetary interiors, as well as to contribute to a long-term solution to the energy problems, leading to a sustainable and green Earth.

我們每天在享受地表美好大自然之際，地底下的世界看似無聲無息、實際上卻是充滿著極高溫度與壓力的狀態，為地球演化提供源源不絕的熱能以驅動許多地體動力學過程，地幔流動，以及板塊的運動、隱沒，甚至引發地震等。我們的研究是在實驗室裡藉由現代高壓科學技術來開闢了一條通往地心的道路: 利用高壓鑽石砧結合加熱技術來模擬地球與行星內部高溫高壓的狀態，搭配新穎的光學探測方法讓我們一窺地球與行星內部的面貌，探索他們的組成物質在星體深部極端條件下的物理及化學性質，以了解其內部極為複雜的熱化學結構、演化動力學，以及地震發生機制，揭開美麗地球與其他行星的前世今生與演化歷史。