Classic experiments give new insight on life's origin

October 17, 2008

Washington, D.C.-The building blocks of life may have emerged in volcanic eruptions on the early Earth, according to a new analysis of classic experiments performed more than fifty years ago. Using modern techniques to examine samples from the original experiments, researchers discovered previously undetectable organic compounds. The results, reported in the October 17 issue of Science, point to the possible contribution of volcanism to the beginning of life on Earth.

The original experiments, performed by Stanley Miller at the University of Chicago in 1953 and 1954 (Miller died in 2007), were the first to demonstrate that the basic molecules of life could be synthesized by subjecting hydrogen-rich gases (such as methane and ammonia) to an electric spark, simulating lightning in the primordial atmosphere. Scientists no longer think that the primordial atmosphere as a whole had the make-up assumed by Miller's experiments, but the clouds of gases emitted during volcanic eruptions do have a hydrogen-rich composition. Volcanic eruptions may have been very common during the planet's hot, early stages.

"It turns out that some of the experiments Miller performed simulated the steam from volcanic eruptions, in addition to the more famous experiments that simulated a hydrogen-rich atmosphere," says H. James Cleaves, of the Carnegie Institution's Geophysical Laboratory, one of the paper's co-authors and Miller's last graduate student. "And when we analyzed samples left over from these volcanic experiments, they contained the most varied mixture of compounds."

Cleaves points out that lighting is very commonly associated with volcanic clouds, and could have been an abundant source of energy to convert simple compounds into organic molecules.

Carnegie Institution

---

---

	You Wouldn't Want to Live in Pompeii! A Volcanic Eruption You'd Rather Avoid by John Malam (Author), David Salariya (Creator), David Antram (Creator) It's not so bad being a slave in ancient Pompeii. Your owners treat you well and you live in a thriving city. But what's up with the dead fish floating in the river and the gas smell escaping from the ground? You better say your prayers, because when Mount Vesuvius blows its top, no one will be spared!
	Melting the Earth: The History of Ideas on Volcanic Eruptions by Haraldur Sigurdsson (Author) From prehistoric times to the fiery destruction of Pompeii in 79 A.D. and the more recent pyrotechnics of Mt. St. Helens, volcanic eruptions have aroused fear, inspired myths and religious worship, and prompted heated philosophical and scientific debate. Melting the Earth chronicles humankind's attempt to understand this terrifying phenomenon and provides a fascinating look at how our conception of volcanoes has changed as knowledge of the earth's internal processes has deepened over the centuries. A practicing volcanologist and native of Iceland, where volcanoes are frequently active, Haraldur Sigurdsson considers how philosophers and scientists have attempted to answer the question: Why do volcanoes erupt? He takes us through the ideas of the ancient Greeks--who proposed that...
	Echoes of Fury: The 1980 Eruption of Mount St. Helens and the Lives It Changed Forever by Frank Parchman (Author) Former investigative journalist Frank Parchman becomes embedded in the lives of eight people whose fates are profoundly altered and ultimately become intertwined in the aftermath of the volcanic fury in southwest Washington state. The story begins on March 20, 1980. After 123 years of geologic tranquility, a swarm of earthquakes signals that America's youngest and most dangerous volcano is coming back to life. At first, no one notices. Then, two months later, after much ""what now?"" speculation by scientists and bureaucrats, the once-beautiful mountain explodes with a force 1000 times greater than Hiroshima. All hell has broken loose. This is an epic account of the volcano's awesome display of raw-throated power; the heartbreak and anger of survivors whose lost loved ones were largely...
	Icelandic Volcano Time Bomb - How to survive the upcoming Icelandic Volcanic Eruption - A self-help guide by Mark Reed (Author) This book has been written to be a self help book so that the public in general can protect themselves from the worst effects of the next Icelandic volcanic eruptions. We have already seen in March & April of 2010 what a small volcanic eruption did when Eyjafjallajokull blew up and caused chaos over the skies of Europe and North America. This was the least harmful perhaps of all 18 - 25 massive strato volcanoes some of which I believe could erupt in the next 5 years. Ones like Katla which are linked to EJ (short version of Eyjafjallajokull) are about 10 times bigger than EJ. Then there is Laki which erupted in 1783 and 1784 and caused a huge cloud of yellow poison mustard gas to spread over Europe potentially killing about 1 million people and yet no one today knows about this volcano,...
	The Physics of Explosive Volcanic Eruptions (Geological Society Special Publication) by J. S. Gilbert (Author), J. S. Gilbert (Editor), R. S. J. Sparks (Editor) A review, consisting of 8 papers with 120 illustrations, this book aims to present an outline of the editors' current understanding of several aspects of the physics of volcanic eruptions. The aspects covered include the physical characterization of silicic magma relevant to explosive volcanism, vesiculation of silicic magmas, conduit flow and fragmentation, gas loss from magmas during eruption, observations and models of eruption columns, tephra dispersal, pyroclastic density currents, and future research directions. By no means a complete outline nor one that reflects all important issues regarding explosive volcanic eruption physics, the papers in this book reflect the research interests of the group of writers chosen for this review. As such there is a notable bias towards eruption of...
	Living Under the Shadow: Cultural Impacts of Volcanic Eruptions (One World Archaeology) by John Grattan (Editor), Robin Torrence (Editor) Popularist treatments of ancient disasters like volcanic eruptions have grossly overstated their capacity for death, destruction, and societal collapse. Contributors to this volume—from anthropology, archaeology, environmental studies, geology, and biology—show that human societies have been incredibly resilient and, in the long run, have often recovered remarkably well from wide scale disruption and significant mortality. They have often used eruptions as a trigger for environmental enrichment, cultural change, and adaptation. These historical studies are relevant to modern hazard management because they provide records for a far wider range of events and responses than have been recorded in written records, yet are often closely datable and trackable using standard archaeological...
	Krakatau 1883, The Volcanic Eruption and Its Effects by Tom Simkin (Author), Richard S. Fiske (Author) Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 11 inches tall, 464 pages. Bibliography, index. Includes several black and white illustrations, plus a few color plates. Also includes maps and a detailed chronology.
	The Volcanic Eruption on Santorini, 1650 BCE (Robbie Readers) (Natural Disasters (Mitchell Lane)) by Jim Whiting (Author) More than 3,500 years ago, people on the Greek island of Calliste had a very good life. They enjoyed lots of sunshine, had plenty of food, and lived in large homes. They even had running water and flush toilets. There was only one problem: Calliste was actually a volcano. Around 1650 BCE, the volcano erupted, blowing out the center of the island and creating a large bay. What was left of Calliste was buried under a thick layer of volcanic ash. Though the island was deserted for many years, people eventually returned. Several centuries ago, it was renamed Santorini. The has island reclaimed its beauty and allure, but the volcano below continues to reshape this little plot of land in the Mediterranean Sea.
	Investigating Volcanic Eruptions (Science Detectives) by Ellen Rene (Author)
	Volcanic Eruptions of El Malpais, The: A Guide to the Volcanic History & Formations of El Malpais Natl Monument by Marilyne Virginia Mabery (Author) Both a visitor's guide and a geological guide to exploring the major features within the park.