Tag

Geochemistry

All articles tagged with #geochemistry

science11 days ago•5 min saved

Antarctica's Erebus Spews Pure Gold Crystals from Its Plume

Researchers studying Mount Erebus in Antarctica found micron-scale, faceted gold crystals in snow around the crater, in the volcanic plume, and in distant Antarctic air up to 1,000 km away, with an estimated 80 grams of gold emitted daily. Erebus appears unique in producing crystalline gold particles, unlike other volcanoes, and how the gold separates from volcanic gases remains unclear. Theories include gold riding in chlorine- or sulfur-bearing gases that crystallize as they cool, or gradual formation on the lava lake surface before being carried aloft. The exact mechanism remains unresolved since a 1991 Geophysical Research Letters paper.

via ScienceAlert|

#antarctica #geochemistry #gold-crystals

science1 month ago•11 min saved

Sterile Dirt Hints at Life’s Metabolic Beginnings

A six-year study of irradiated, life-free soil shows ongoing CO2 release and oxygen consumption, plus measurable electron flow and Krebs-cycle intermediates, suggesting metal- and mineral-catalyzed, metabolism-like chemistry can occur outside living cells and may predate life; while these findings support a geology-driven view of metabolism, the possibility that residual enzymes could contribute cannot be completely ruled out.

via Quanta Magazine|

#cell-free-biology #geochemistry #metabolism

earth-science1 month ago•16 min saved

Geochemical Clues Hint Africa May Be Forming a New Tectonic Boundary

An international Frontiers in Earth Science study found elevated helium isotope ratios and mantle-like CO2 in samples from the Kafue Rift in Central Africa, suggesting mantle fluids are reaching the crust and potentially signaling the early stages of a new plate boundary that could eventually split sub‑Saharan Africa. The result is preliminary, but if confirmed it could open geothermal and other resource opportunities, with follow-up research planned across the Southwest African Rift System.

via Gizmodo|

#africa #earth-science #geochemistry

astronomy2 months ago•6 min saved

Mercury's Sulfur-Powered Interior Forces a Rewrite of Planetary Formation

Lab experiments using the 1891 Indarch meteorite recreate Mercury-like magmas and show sulfur can substitute for oxygen, lowering crystallization temperatures and challenging Earth-centric models of rocky-planet evolution.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#astronomy #geochemistry #indarch-meteorite

science3 months ago•5 min saved

2.64-Billion-Year-Old Water Found in Canadian Mine Hints at Ancient Microbial Life

Geologists in the Kidd Creek Mine uncovered water dating to about 2.64 billion years ago—the oldest known on Earth—with chemical clues pointing to ancient microbial life. The sulfate present appears to be produced in place by rock–water reactions, and a scientist even tasted the water, finding it very salty and bitter, underscoring its long isolation and potential implications for life in extreme environments and on other worlds.

via Indian Defence Review|

#ancient-water #early-earth #geochemistry

science5 months ago•15 min saved

Pompeii’s Baths: From Polluted Wells to a Stable Aqueduct

Geochemical analysis of calcium carbonate deposits in Pompeii’s wells, baths, and aqueducts shows a shift from polluting deep wells to a stable aqueduct supply; pollutants in Republican Baths reveal inconsistent refilling, while the aqueduct era likely improved hygiene before the AD 79 eruption.

via Gizmodo|

#aqueduct #archaeology #baths

science7 months ago•4 min saved

Hidden Earth Structures and Their Role in Our Planet's Origins

A new study suggests that the two massive structures beneath Earth's surface, known as LLSVPs, are remnants of the planet's early magma ocean, formed by chemical interactions with the core during Earth's formation, which could reshape our understanding of Earth's deep interior and its habitability.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#earths-interior #geochemistry #llsvps

science8 months ago•5 min saved

Scientists Discover Evidence of a Hidden Ancient World Inside Earth

MIT researchers discovered rare chemical signatures in ancient rocks that suggest they are remnants of the original proto Earth, predating the giant impact that shaped our planet, providing new insights into Earth's earliest composition and the solar system's formation.

via Science Daily|

#geochemistry #mit #planet-formation

science9 months ago•5 min saved

Scientists Uncover 'Impossible' Chemistry in South African Diamonds and Earth's Core

Researchers discovered South African diamonds with contrasting inclusions of oxidized and reduced materials, challenging existing theories of diamond formation and deep Earth chemistry, and suggesting oxidized materials exist deeper in the mantle than previously thought.

via Energy Reporters|

#diamonds #earths-mantle #geochemistry

science9 months ago•4 min saved

Scientists Discover Rare Nickel-Rich Diamonds Revealing Deep Earth Secrets

Scientists discovered two diamonds from South Africa containing contrasting inclusions that reveal new insights into deep Earth chemistry, showing that oxidized and reduced materials can coexist at depths of 280-470 km, challenging previous assumptions about mantle oxidation states.

via Live Science|

#diamonds #geochemistry #inclusions

science10 months ago•4 min saved

Earth's Continents Formed Earlier Than Previously Thought

A new study suggests that Earth's continents began forming much earlier than previously thought, with evidence of active plate tectonics and crust recycling during the Hadean eon, based on chemical analysis of ancient crystals and geodynamic models.

via Earth.com|

#early-earth #earths-continents #geochemistry

geology10 months ago•9 min saved

Hydrothermal Processes in Ore Formation

The article explains hydrothermal ore formation, focusing on how supercritical fluids from magma chambers create deposits like pegmatites and hydrothermal veins, which contain valuable minerals such as gold, lithium, and rare-earth elements, and discusses their significance both on Earth and potentially on other rocky bodies in the solar system.

via Hackaday|

#geochemistry #geology #hydrothermal-processes

science11 months ago•3 min saved

Scientists Release 815-Million-Year-Old Air Trapped in Rock

Scientists analyzed air trapped inside 815-million-year-old rock salt, revealing that Earth's ancient atmosphere had about 10-13% oxygen, roughly half of today's level, providing new insights into early Earth's conditions and the evolution of life.

via IFLScience|

#815-million-years #air-trapped-in-rock #ancient-atmosphere

science11 months ago•2 min saved

Study Uncovers New Insights into Earth's Subduction Origins

A new study suggests that subduction and continental crust formation on Earth began hundreds of millions of years earlier than previously believed, during the Hadean Eon, indicating a more active early Earth than traditionally thought.

via Phys.org|

#earths-crust #geochemistry #geodynamics

science1 year ago•4 min saved

Scientists Discover Earth's 'Missing Nitrogen' in Unexpected Location

Scientists have discovered that a significant portion of Earth's missing nitrogen is likely stored in its core, having been sequestered during the planet's early magma ocean phase due to nitrogen's strong affinity for iron under high pressure, which explains the low nitrogen levels in Earth's mantle and helps understand planetary formation and habitability.

via Earth.com|

#core-segregation #earths-nitrogen #geochemistry