To trace how crucial ingredients for life arrived at Earth, scientists track noble gases. Now, improved methods are drawing new clues from krypton, the most cryptic of noble gases.
basalts
Posted inNews
The Surprising Greenhouse Gas That Caused Volcanic Summer
Extended periods of volcanism known as flood basalt eruptions lead to volcanic winters, which are often followed by an extended period of warming. But it was more than just carbon dioxide that warmed the globe.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Western U.S. “Megafloods” Might Not Have Been So Mega
The flooding that carved eastern Washington State 20,000 to 12,000 years ago could have been 80% smaller than the canyons’ volume today.
Posted inNews
Roman-Era Millstone and Mixer Makers Knew Their Rocks
The geochemistry of basalt millstones and mixers from the city of Volubilis suggests a local origin—and that rocks were picked for specific purposes, from crushing olives to mixing dough.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
A Novel Thermobarometer to Infer Mantle Melting Conditions
The algorithm RevPET automatically reverses the complex multi-phase fractional crystallization path of oceanic basalts and offers new perspectives for advancing mantle thermobarometry.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
A Mechanism for Shallow, Slow Earthquakes in Subduction Zones
Slow earthquakes beneath the accretionary prism updip from the locked portion of a subduction zone can be caused by basaltic blocks embedded in a shale matrix.
Posted inNews
Basalts Turn Carbon into Stone for Permanent Storage
Scientists have shown that mineral carbonation can permanently capture and store carbon quickly enough and safely enough to rise to the challenge of climate change.
Posted inNews
Lunar Lava Tubes Could Offer Future Moon Explorers a Safe Haven
Scientists find evidence that a 50-meter-deep pit on the Moon's surface could be a skylight opening to an intact lava tube tens of kilometers long.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
New Insights into the Composition of Inner Earth
Isotopic signatures in volcanic basalts show that Earth's interior is even less uniform than scientists previously thought.
Posted inScience Updates
Drilling a Small Basaltic Volcano to Reveal Potential Hazards
Drilling into the Rangitoto Island Volcano in the Auckland Volcanic Field in New Zealand offers insight into a small monogenetic volcano, and may improve understanding of future hazards.