By studying these literal chunks of Mars, scientists are learning more about the Red Planet’s deep interior and impact history.
lava & magma
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Tracing Oxidizing Slab Fluids in Cold Volcanic Arcs
Elevated copper isotope ratios in arc magmas from fluid-rich cold subduction zones support the role of oxidizing fluids from the subducted lithospheric serpentinite in the oxidization of arc magmas.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
A Better Operational Lava Flow Model
By segmenting the vertical structure of a lava flow, the Lava2d model provides more realism to operational lava forecasts.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Feedbacks Between Deformation and Magmatism as Shear Zones Grow
New research reveals how the presence and absence of magmatism governs how shear zones initiate, grow, and reactivate to connect lower and upper crustal deformation.
Posted inNews
Supervolcanoes Linger a While, Then Rush to Erupt
Geologists examined crystals in rock from four massive eruptions in the Chilean Andes.
Posted inNews
Unraveling the Mystery of a Rare Mineral on Mars
The discovery of tridymite in Mars’s Gale Crater triggered debate about the rare mineral’s origins. A research team recently suggested a scenario with explosive implications.
Posted inNews
This One Simple Trick Helps Us Understand How Much Water Is in Martian Lavas
Understanding how much water is in Martian magma is vital for understanding whether the Red Planet had seas in its early history.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Why Do Arc Volcanoes Deform Less Than Ocean Island Volcanoes?
Volcanic ground deformation is not simply correlated with erupted volume. Researchers propose that high concentrations of magmatic volatiles make systems more compressible and suppress deformation.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
A New, Fast Computational Tool for Magmatic Phase Equilibria
Thermodynamic calculations in multiphase, multicomponent magmatic systems can be slow and buggy. A new parallel architecture solves the free energy minimization problem much faster than alternatives.
Posted inNews
Earth’s Lower Mantle Is Drier Than Previously Thought
Scientists have long known that the two layers of Earth’s mantle have different chemical compositions. Now, modeling shows that different water concentrations may keep them from mixing.