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.
weird & wonderful
Posted inNews
How a Newly Discovered Mineral Might Explain Weird Mantle Behavior
Scientists not only synthesized davemaoite but deformed it at lower mantle conditions. They found its strength and viscosity to be substantially lower than those of other minerals that make up the lower mantle.
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Diamond Discovery Unearths Secrets of the Deep
A diamond inclusion has revealed a new mineral, davemaoite, as well as hints about the workings of our planet’s interior.
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An Explanation, at Last, for Mysterious “Zen Stones”
Laboratory experiments re-create the thin, icy pedestals that support some rocks in nature, revealing that sublimation plays a key role in the formation of these rare and beautiful structures.
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Summer Could Be Earthquake Season on Mars
InSight data hint that shifting carbon dioxide ice loads, illumination changes, or solar tides could drive an uptick in marsquakes during northern summer—a “marsquake season.”
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Noble Gas Hints at Mars’s Rapid Formation
A new study finds that Mars’s mantle is neon-rich, putting constraints on the planet’s formation history.
Posted inScience Updates
Cormorants Are Helping Characterize Coastal Ocean Environments
The Cormorant Oceanography Project is using sensors deployed on diving marine birds to collect broadly distributed oceanographic data in coastal regions around the world.
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Cosmological Tool Helps Archaeologists Map Earthly Tombs
A new study employs a method originally developed to help map stars and galaxies to describe how ancient tombs are clustered. The research helps archaeologists studying remote or inaccessible sites.
Posted inGeoFIZZ
El universo de Dune inspira la nomenclatura de Titán
En todo el sistema solar, la ciencia choca con la ciencia ficción en formas literarias.
Posted inGeoFIZZ
Oddballs of the Exoplanet Realm
The list of planets in other star systems includes zombies, hot giants, puffballs, and even a few Tatooines. Zowie!