A new executive order aims to establish the United States “as a global leader in seabed mineral exploration and development both within and beyond national jurisdiction.”
minerals
A 30,000-Year-Old Feather Is a First-of-Its-Kind Fossil
A new analysis of a fossil found in 1889 has unveiled the presence of zeolites—and an entirely new mineralization method.
Remagnetization Illuminates Tectonic Consolidation of Megacontinents
New rock and paleomagnetic research give evidence for prolonged heating during the Cambrian-Ordovician tectonic consolidation of West Gondwanaland.
Hawai’i’s Depleted Peridotite Delivers More Magma
The source for the isotopically-enriched Hawaiian magmas contains peridotites that experienced near-surface melting prior incorporation in the plume.
Explaining Mars’ Mysteriously Magnetic Crust
Fluid-rock interactions on ancient Mars may have produced abundant magnetic minerals that preserved unusually intense records of the planet’s now-extinct magnetic field.
United States and Ukraine Weigh Mineral Deal
When U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met to sign a minerals agreement on 28 February, their discussion devolved into a heated, and widely covered, exchange. The minerals agreement, if signed, would result in half of Ukraine’ future revenue from minerals and natural resources going to the United States, in exchange for U.S. military support.
Modeling Mantle Dynamics as the Earth Slowly Cools
An update of the convection code ASPECT enables full coupling of plume dynamics with buoyancy effects of transition zone phase relations, showing how early layering gave way to whole-mantle plumes.
How Rock Type Shapes River Networks and Influences Landscape Evolution
A new study in Chile shows how small differences in rock type can drive large differences in erosion, vegetation, and river networks, illuminating the role of mineralogy in shaping landscapes.
Turning Carbon into Stone: Unlocking Mineralization in Fractured Rock
Carbon mineralization is a promising solution for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, but we must learn to optimize the complex interplay between reactions and mechanics in fractures to develop a scalable solution.
Beneath Greenland, Insights for Energy Transitions and Climate Models
Emerging consensus on the structure and dynamics of Greenland’s lithosphere may help improve forecasts of climate and sea level change and develop solutions for sustainable resource use.