Scientists have found holes filled with minerals that indicate fluid-filled pores exist many tens of kilometers below Earth’s surface. But no, The Core fans, you still can’t get amethyst-laden geodes in the mantle.
weird & wonderful
Unlocking the Magmatic Secrets of Antarctica’s Mount Erebus
Unprecedented images of Mount Erebus’s inner workings show the unique trappings of a CO2-rich rift volcano.
Peeking at Peatlands: Satellite Data Fuel New Findings
Researchers are combining hard-to-get field measurements with satellite imagery to gain new insight into where peatlands are and how they work.
Why Did Sunspots Disappear for 70 Years? Nearby Star Holds Clues
Five decades of data revealed a star undergoing a pause in magnetic activity similar to what the Sun experienced almost 400 years ago.
El suelo lunar permite cultivar plantas
Plantas cultivadas en regolito lunar recolectado por las misiones Apollo crecieron con éxito desde la semilla hasta el retoño, brindando así información sobre las futuras perspectivas de la agricultura lunar.
Lunar Soil Can Grow Plants
Plants grown in lunar regolith collected by Apollo missions successfully grew from seed to sprout, lending insight into future lunar agriculture prospects.
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.
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.
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.
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.
