Extreme lithium fractionation is observed when primary minerals in andesite are transformed to secondary clay minerals and then to oxides with intensive chemical weathering in a tropical climate.
clays
Posted inNews
The Bumpy Search for Liquid Water at the South Pole of Mars
Studies since 2018 have provided competing explanations of bright radar reflections from the base of the south polar ice cap.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Clay Type, Not Just Content, Crucial for Fault Zone Permeability
Faults containing clays are often considered as barriers to fluid flow but new work shows that fault processes leading to the formation of clays can increase permeability relative to the host rock.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Not All Clays are Made Equal – and it Matters for Hydrology
Soil clay content is an important characteristic that affects many hydraulic and mechanical properties of soil; clay mineral type is important for their prediction.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Tracking Reverse Weathering
Using beryllium isotopes to track in situ formation of clays in the ocean, known as reverse weathering, will improve global models of atmospheric carbon dioxide and ocean alkalinity.
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Healing Power of Clay? Not as Off-the-Wall as You Might Think
An ancient folk remedy, blue-green iron-rich clay, kills antibiotic-resistant bacteria using a one-two punch, a new study shows.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Accounting for the Missing Silica in the Marine Sediment Cycle
Cosmogenic silicon-based estimates of the amount of biogenic silica stored in clays along continental margins could explain the large discrepancy in the nutrient’s global marine budget.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Simulating the Climate 145 Million Years Ago
A new model shows that the Intertropical Convergence Zone wasn't always a single band around the equator, which had drastic effects on climate.
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How Did Fragile Early Microbes Become Fossils?
During the Ediacaran period more than a half billion years ago, clay mineral coats likely shielded delicate remains, helping them become exquisitely preserved in rock, recent experiments suggest.