METAL project logo – stylized atom with blue text, symbolizing research on the formation of terrestrial planets.
METAL project logo – stylized atom with blue text, symbolizing research on the formation of terrestrial planets.

ERC METAL Project – Understanding Terrestrial Planet Formation

The METAL project (Making tErresTriAl pLanets) aims to study the accretion and differentiation processes that shaped the current composition of Earth, the Moon, Mars, and other differentiated asteroids. We use advanced isotopic tools to understand the origin of volatile and siderophile elements in the solar system. This project, coordinated by Frédéric Moynier at IPGP, is a European partnership pushing the boundaries of cosmochemistry.

Scientific Publications

Access our scientific publications to discover the latest advances in cosmochemistry, isotopic analysis, and dynamic modeling.

Generation of carbonated peridotite melts via biogenic sediment recycling in modern subduction zones

Journal: Science Advances
2026

Heavy potassium isotopes in carbonatites reveal oceanic crust subduction as the driver of deep carbon cycling

Journal: Science Advances
2025

Heavy potassium isotopes in carbonatites reveal oceanic crust subduction as the driver of deep carbon cycling

Journal: Science Advances
2025

A whole-scale volatile-depleted lunar interior

Journal: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
2025

Carbonate metasomatism at mantle wedge conditions, evidence from trace element and stable isotope (Fe, Zn) signatures of orogenic peridotites

Journal: Chemical Geology
2025

Chemical compositions of Chang’e-6 lunar soil and substantial addition of noritic crust ejecta from Apollo basin

Journal: Geology
2025

Copper isotope evidence for recycled crustal sulfides in deep mantle plume source

Journal: Communications Earth and Environment
2025

Degasing of Phobos in a giant impact scenario: Implications for the MMX sample return mission

Journal: Icarus
2025
See Publications
Group dinner during the Goldschmidt meeting 2023

People

Meet the participants of the METAL project, experts in cosmochemistry and planetary sciences working together to uncover the secrets of terrestrial planet formation.

See People

Visual Highlights

Explore our Visual Highlights, featuring images of scientific instruments and analysis results illustrating the complex processes of planetary formation.

Edward Inglis closely inspecting a TIMS spectrometer
Proudly posing in front of the Nu Sapphire spectrometer
Close-up view of plasma inside the Sapphire spectrometer
Tu-Han Luu and the Nu Sapphire MC-ICP-MS spectrometer
Group photo in Wuhan 2024 during a conference
Group dinner during the Goldschmidt meeting 2023
Group photo with alumni during the EPOE meeting in Paris in 2024
See Visuals

News and Events

Stay updated with the latest news from the METAL project, including scientific honors, collaborations, and major events.

An article in the CNRS newsletter of the China’s office.

Thanks to the CNRS chinese office to promote our work on extra-terrestrial samples. For the full high resolution newsletter : https://beijing.office.cnrs.fr/publications/
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Very honored to become an AGU fellow during the 2024 meeting in Washington DC attended by over 25000 people.

On stage at the 2024 AGU honor ceremony AGU fellowship
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Interview for the French media Radio France Internationale regarding how we use isotopes to study extraterrestrial samples, but also Alzheimer disease

https://www.radiofrance.fr/franceculture/podcasts/avec-sciences/elements-volatils-la-lune-a-tout-perdu-dans-sa-jeunesse-4117330

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Wei Dai defended his PhD on Ca and K isotope cosmochemistry

Celebration of Wei's PhD thesis.
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Linru Fang’s PhD Defense and Post-Doctoral Journey

Congratulations to Dr. Linru Fang for defending her PhD thesis on the origin and evolution of the first asteroids. She now moves on to postdoctoral research at the University of Copenhagen’s StarPlan group.

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IPGP features our recent collection of a lunar sample returned by the Chang’e 5 mission.

https://www.ipgp.fr/en/news-and-agenda/news/the-institute-receives-a-precious-sample-of-lunar-basalt-from-the-chinese-change-5-mission/
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The Disparity Between the Two Faces of the Moon: A Long-standing Enigma Decoded by Frédéric Moynier

In a recent article, Frédéric Moynier, a cosmochemist at the Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris (IPGP), delved into one of the long-standing mysteries of lunar geology: the striking difference between the Moon’s two faces.

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Congratulations to Haoxuan Sun for defending his PhD on planetary formation using a triple silicon isotope approach

Congratulations to Haoxuan Sun for defending his PhD on planetary formation using silicon isotope analysis. He is now moving to Washington, DC, for a postdoctoral fellowship at the Carnegie Institution for Science.

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Interview of Tu-Han by Université Paris Cité

Currently in charge of the MC-ICP-MS of our analytical platform PARI at Institut de physique du globe de Paris, our research engineer Tu-Han explains in this video a few aspects of her job. https://youtu.be/Yt8oG7ZodKA?si=durOlURvl44Ws65N
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Lunar sleepless night at IPGP

Le samedi 9 novembre, de 14h à minuit, nous organisons à l’Institut de Physique un événement autour de la Lune.

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