A new study investigates iron’s form at the planet’s interior. The findings have repercussions for understanding the inner core’s structure.
iron
Posted inEditors' Highlights
New Mechanism for “Giant” Greigite Growth in Deep-Sea Sediments
Understanding greigite formation pathways in sediments is a prerequisite for assessing the marine iron-sulfur-carbon cycle and yield reliable near-syn-sedimentary paleomagnetic records.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Abiotic Life and Energy on Water-Rich Rocky Celestial Bodies
The discovery of tiny crystals of the iron-rich hydroxychloride kuliginite in New Caledonia provides new insights into the hydrogen production from mantle rocks and saline water.
Posted inFeatures
Is Earth’s Core Rusting?
If subduction carries hydrous minerals deep into Earth’s mantle, they may “rust” the iron outer core, forming vast sinks of oxygen that can later be returned to the atmosphere.
Posted inEditors' Vox
Using Hematite to Decipher Past Climates and Environments
The magnetic and color properties of the mineral hematite give clues to past environmental conditions and is being used for paleoclimatic reconstruction.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Zero-valent Iron in the Oxidizing Atmosphere?
A comparative study of urban, semi-urban, and rural sites reveals that the species of atmospheric iron varies depending on location.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Review of Go-To Iron Analysis Method Reveals Its Pros and Cons
Researchers validated some steps in the standard sequential chemical technique used to extract different forms of iron from rock samples but found inconsistencies in other steps.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Thermal Convection Can Power the Geodynamo
New high-pressure experiments on fluid iron suggest thermal convection without compositional buoyancy is sufficient to drive the dynamo generating Earth’s magnetic field.
Posted inNews
Ultrahot Exoplanet Bleeds Heavy Metals into Space
The planet is also shaped like a football (the American kind).
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Antarctica’s Seasonal Streams Contribute Iron to the Ross Sea
Analysis of nutrient concentrations in four streams that discharge to the Southern Ocean indicates they are important sources of iron and phosphorous for coastal phytoplankton communities.