Researchers have devised new methods to turn toxic asbestos mine tailings into innocuous piles of carbonate rock and draw down atmospheric carbon dioxide at the same time.
Mineral occurrences and deposits
Posted inNews
For Some Copper Deposits, Microbes Make Minable Minerals
Copper ores were long thought to form through purely chemical processes, but a recent study provides the strongest evidence yet that microbial metabolism drives mineral production.
Posted inNews
Lander Gives First Look at Moon’s Farside
The mission aims to explore this relatively unstudied hemisphere and learn about its age, composition, and geologic history.
Posted inNews
Deep-Seabed Mining May Come Soon, Says Head of Governing Group
New regulations could open the door for sustainable mining, says the head of the International Seabed Authority. However, he and others pointed to environmental, financial, and technical challenges.
Posted inNews
Proposed Bill Would Loosen Ocean Drilling Restrictions
The legislation would restrict the withdrawal of offshore areas from oil and gas development and overturn current planning processes.
Posted inNews
Policy Experts Debate Trump Energy Plan
Lauded by free-market proponents at a policy forum, the White House plan sparked disagreements among panelists about climate implications, the potential for a coal comeback, and carbon taxes.
Posted inNews
Whiskers on Familiar Crystal Revealed as New Mineral
A 14-year-old girl's chance encounter with a random sample of tanzanite led scientists to find an entirely new mineral.
Posted inNews
Tanzanian Volcanoes May Hoard Helium Ready for the Taking
Sweet spots of volcanic heat that are not too close to active eruptions may hold the world's richest reservoirs of the scientifically and medically important gas helium.
Posted inNews
Surveying Alaskan Minerals from Afar
By using hyperspectral imaging, researchers test their ability to find copper in remote areas.
Posted inNews
Tougher Guidelines Issued for Alaska Offshore Drilling
The regulations will reinforce safety mechanisms and provide stronger planning efforts and enhanced regulatory certainty, according to the Department of the Interior.