Articles tagged with Geochemistry
Researchers found evidence of 2.9 billion-year-old glaciers in South Africa using relative oxygen isotope concentrations and physical proof. The discovery suggests the presence of continental ice caps at that time or a previously unknown 'snowball Earth' period.
Researchers at Arizona State University have developed a method to mix sodium with lithium in high-quality batteries, driving down costs and ensuring the supply. The technique uses a specialized technique to measure energetic stability, allowing for a more stable mixture of up to 20% sodium.
Researchers found large quantities of plastic mulch fragments in strawberry fields, negatively impacting soil qualities and microbial respiration. The study's findings suggest that biodegradable or natural mulches could be alternatives to reduce long-term plastic pollution.
A team of international scientists has discovered a large granite mass buried under the surface of the Moon's far side, measuring 50km across. This finding is unexpected, as granites are nearly absent in the Solar System outside of Earth.
A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences confirms that the Megalodon shark was warm-blooded, with a body temperature estimated at around 27°C. This discovery provides empirical evidence for the extinct species' internal heat production, shedding light on its biology and ecological role.
A team of researchers led by Dr. William Gilhooly III found that viruses are infecting sulfur bacteria, altering their genetic code and influencing their behavior in oxygen-deficient lakes. This discovery opens up new avenues for understanding the impact of viral infections on bacterial ecosystems.
Researchers have pushed back the age of the massive Ontong Java Plateau eruption by 10 million years using high-precision argon isotope dating. The revised dates suggest the event occurred after the onset of Ocean Anoxic Event 1a, challenging previous theories about its cause.
A team of researchers led by Indiana University's Chen Zhu aims to understand the chemical processes that trap CO2 in rocks. They will employ an isotope tracer method to investigate basalt-CO2-water interactions, which have shown potential for rapid carbon storage.
New research by Oregon State University suggests the Ontong Java Plateau is younger and its eruption was more protracted than previously believed. The findings contradict long-held assumptions about the formation of the plateau being linked to a global oxygen-depletion event that formed black shale deposits worldwide.
A study by University of Zurich researchers found that global warming is accelerating the decomposition of soil humus and affecting plant storage of carbon. The findings have significant implications for relying on soils as a natural carbon sink to tackle global warming.
The InVADER Mission successfully deployed a high-tech laser laboratory on the ocean floor, marking a paradigm shift in ocean research and exploration. The Laser Divebot collects compositional data without disturbing the environment, removing the need for physical samples.
Existing global forests could store an additional 44.1 petagrams of carbon if left unmanaged, but this would only offset 4 years of CO2 emissions under current rates. The study's findings highlight the limited carbon sequestration potential of unmanaged global forests.
The study analyzed 45 copper objects from Northern Central Europe and Southern Scandinavia, revealing changes in distribution networks across prehistoric Europe. The findings suggest that copper artefacts originated primarily from southeast Europe before 3500 BC, with later sources including the Eastern Alps and British Isles.
A study from Smithsonian researchers deepens understanding of Earth's crust by testing and eliminating the garnet hypothesis about why continental crust is lower in iron and more oxidized. The findings suggest that intense heat and pressure cannot produce the necessary conditions for garnet formation, contradicting a popular explanation.
Researchers found that golden fossils from Germany's Posidonia shale are primarily made up of phosphate minerals, hinting at the presence of oxygen in the environment. The discovery suggests that oxygen played a crucial role in driving chemical reactions needed for fossilization.
A team of researchers analyzed stone artefacts from Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, and Caroline Islands to understand relationship between western Pacific Polynesian societies. Geochemical analysis revealed six adzes sourced from a single fortified quarry complex in American Samoa, indicating long-distance mobility.
A research team from Germany, Austria, Canada, and the USA analyzed Troodon eggshells using a new method, revealing that they were produced at temperatures of 42°C and 30°C. The findings suggest that Troodon females laid eggs in communal nests, similar to modern ostriches.
A recent study published in Nature Communications reveals that Earth's anisotropic inner core structure is driven by the dipole geomagnetic field. The researchers found that hexagonal-close-packed (hcp) Fe-H alloy exhibited both seismic anisotropy and H-ion diffusion anisotropy under high pressure-temperature conditions.
Researchers have overturned the traditional view that oxygen derives from water splitting, instead finding that reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced at mineral-water interfaces are a key source of oxygen. This discovery has significant implications for understanding the evolution of Earth's atmosphere and the habitability of early life.
Researchers from ETH Zurich, Harvard, and Cambridge join forces to study chemical and physical processes of living organisms and environmental conditions for life on other planets. Synthetic cells enable scientists to deconstruct complex systems, understand basic principles of life and evolution.
A detailed and dynamic model of the Earth's surface over the past 100 million years provides a high-resolution understanding of its creation and sediment flow to oceans. The model will help scientists predict future changes and understand ocean chemistry.
A recent study by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin found that the ocean's ability to absorb CO2 will peak by 2100 and become less efficient after 2300 due to a surface layer of low-alkalinity water. This emergence hinders CO2 absorption, leading to faster warming.
Researchers at Trinity College Dublin have synthesized cerianite, a rare earth mineral with antioxidant properties, using an environmentally friendly method. The study provides new insights into the occurrence and behavior of cerianite in natural deposits and expands knowledge on REE synthesis.
Scientists have discovered a new type of solid crystal that forms when water and table salt combine in cold and high-pressure conditions, potentially existing on the surface of Jupiter's moons. This finding has significant implications for planetary science and the search for extraterrestrial life, as it could explain the mysterious ch...
Researchers use heavy hydraulic presses to mimic early Earth's conditions and recreate the differentiation process in miniature. They found that iron melts could pass through grain boundaries, exchanging chemical elements like oxygen and sulfur with the surrounding mantle.
Researchers have found that relatively oxidized fluids fed Earth's earliest hydrothermal systems, which may have supported prebiotic organic synthesis. The discovery provides new insights into the geochemistry of these ancient systems and their potential role in the emergence of life on Earth.
Researchers found that 90% of Earth's mass came from non-carbonaceous material and 10% from carbonaceous chondrite material. The studies indicate that volatile elements were not evenly distributed in the solar nebula, with K coming from NCs and Zn having a mixed source.
Silicate weathering helps regulate Earth's climate by removing CO2 from the atmosphere at lower temperatures. The process is influenced by various landscape-scale conditions and physical processes, with temperature sensitivity varying depending on these factors.
A recent study by CSIC reveals that soil biodiversity is essential for the maintenance of urban greenspaces, supporting various ecosystem functions such as carbon sequestration and water regulation. The study highlights the importance of invertebrates and microbes in these ecosystems, emphasizing their role in maintaining soil health.
Researchers found high ferric iron content in agglutinate glass from lunar soil returned by China's Chang'e-5 mission. The discovery challenges previous knowledge about lunar ferric iron and suggests ongoing charge disproportionation reactions, leading to progressively increasing ferric iron on the Moon's surface.
Researchers identified seven exotic igneous clasts in Chang'e-5 samples, providing critical information about the Moon's lithological diversity and regolith gardening process. The findings indicate that there are still unknown geological units on the moon, which may aid future lunar exploration missions.
A team led by Professor Thorsten Hoffmann uses small, portable observation drones equipped with miniaturized sensors to analyze volcanic gases and predict eruptions. The ratio of carbon dioxide levels to sulfur dioxide can reveal the likelihood of an impending eruption.
A team of scientists found evidence that 37 ichthyosaurs died in the same location, suggesting they were migrating to give birth over hundreds of thousands of years. Geochemical tests revealed no signs of environmental disturbance or mass stranding events, pointing to a more plausible explanation for their demise.
The São Paulo School of Advanced Science on Nanotechnology, Agriculture and Environment will cover topics such as nanotechnology innovation, sustainability, and biological applications. The event will feature renowned scientists as speakers and provide hands-on experiments, technical visits, and didactic activities.
The expansion of forests in Central Europe, circa 11,000 years ago, led to the decline and eventual extinction of large Ice Age mammals such as mammoth and bison. The growth of trees deprived these herbivores of their main food source, grass.
Researchers found that rusty center pivots indicate a lack of nitrate in the groundwater they feed. In fact, most wells supplying full-rust and part-rust pivots had nitrate concentrations below the EPA's safety threshold. However, some part-rust pivots showed higher nitrate levels, highlighting the need for further investigation.
A new study by researchers from the University of Oldenburg found that particles from central South America were the primary source of iron in the South Pacific during the last two glacial periods. The team's theory suggests that jet stream circulation picked up fine mineral particles on the east side of the Andes and transported them ...
Researchers discovered trapped seawater sealed in North American rock for 390 million years, shedding light on ancient oceans' chemistry and potential for storing carbon-free fuel. The study's findings could inform geologic studies and help identify subsurface locations to safely store hydrogen.
Researchers from UC Berkeley used rock analysis to determine that the valley's impressive depth was formed since 10 million years ago, with most of it carved in the past 5 million years. The study employed a novel technique called helium-4/helium-3 thermochronometry to reconstruct the temperature history of the rocks.
A WWII shipwreck in the North Sea is leaking hazardous pollutants like explosives and heavy metals, influencing marine microbiology and geochemistry. The study found varying concentrations of toxic substances depending on distance from the wreck, with highest metal levels near the coal bunker.
New research shows that Viking beadmakers in Denmark used sophisticated methods to upcycle old Roman glass mosaics into glass beads. The findings reveal a circular economy approach, where glassmakers reused valuable materials to reduce waste and conserve resources.
Researchers suggest that collisional erosion played a key role in shaping Earth's composition, contradicting initial building block theories. The findings have implications for the creation of other terrestrial planets outside the Solar System.
The analysis of particles from asteroid Ryugu has revealed a high carbon content, similar to the Sun, and the presence of rare earth metals in concentrations 100 times higher than elsewhere in the solar system. The findings suggest that Ryugu originated from a parent asteroid formed in the outer solar nebula.
The Perseverance rover collected igneous cumulate rocks from four sites on the floor of Jezero Crater, providing evidence of aqueous alteration. These rocks will help scientists determine when Mars' climate was conducive to lakes and rivers, addressing major questions about the planet's history.
The Perseverance rover has revealed a crater floor composed of igneous rocks altered by water, with core samples stored for potential return to Earth. The rover's radar scans also suggest a layered structure beneath the surface, indicating history of igneous activity and repeated exposure to liquid water.
A novel three-dimensional model of the fluid stored deep in Earth's crust along the Cascadia Subduction Zone provides new insight into how the accumulation and release of those fluids may influence seismic activity. The study's findings have applications for increasing understanding of seismic activity along the Cascadia Subduction Zone.
Researchers analyzed fossil corals to reveal changed ocean current circulation patterns. The data supports a scenario where the upper Pacific Ocean was more mixed during the last ice age, contributing to carbon storage and cooler climates.
A new precipitation record suggests that persistent droughts in southern Arabia contributed to the decline of the Himyarite kingdom and the emergence of Islam. The droughts, which lasted from 500 to 530 CE, coincided with a turning point in Arabian history marked by political and socioreligious transformations.
A new study in Frontiers in Earth Science questions the link between climate change and ecosystem diversity during the origin of dinosaurs in Argentina. The researchers found that variations in species abundance cannot be explained by climatic changes, instead attributing it to preservation and sampling biases.
Researchers studied the Temagami BIF rock formation to understand the early Earth's interaction between ocean, continent and atmosphere. They found oxygen-producing organisms on landmasses 2.7 billion years ago, 200 million years before the Great Oxidation Event.
Samples from asteroid Ryugu are chemically similar to Ivuna-type (CI) carbonaceous meteorites, offering insights into the Solar System's formation. The findings suggest that Ryugu samples represent the most primitive and pristine Solar System materials analyzed in a laboratory.
Researchers found that the asteroid is similar to 'Ivuna-type carbonaceous chondrites,' which date back to the solar system's beginnings. The samples show signs of having been soaked in water, but the rock itself appears relatively dry, hinting at similar formation conditions between comets and asteroids.
A study by researchers at the University of Oldenburg found that spider webs are contaminated with varying levels of microplastic particles, including PET and PVC. The team discovered that the amount of plastic particles in the webs depends on location, with roads having high traffic volumes producing more microplastics.
A multidisciplinary project aims to develop a decision-making tool to estimate the risk of water contamination in flooded areas. The research team will collect public data and conduct field work to test their approach in small study areas, ultimately enabling Québec to reduce health risks by better protecting water quality.
Researchers analyzed iron samples from asteroid cores to determine the timing of asteroid core cooling and collisions. The study suggests that violent collisions occurred within a 7.8-11.7 million year window after solar system formation, indicating a chaotic early phase.
Researchers study the sea-surface microlayer, a biogeochemical reactor where organisms adapt to harsh conditions like UV radiation and fluctuating temperatures. The team aims to understand biological, chemical, and physical interactions in this thin layer, influencing global climate.
Researchers found that around 3.8 billion years ago, a major transition in the geochemistry of zircons occurred, suggesting the onset of plate tectonics. This discovery provides hints about how the planet became habitable and under which conditions the earliest forms of life developed.
Scientists propose a new mechanism by which oxygen accumulated in the atmosphere, shifting the planet out of its low-oxygen equilibrium. Interactions between certain marine microbes and minerals in ocean sediments may have prevented oxygen consumption, setting off a self-amplifying process.
New research reveals that magma's water content controls its storage depth in active arc volcanos, contradicting previous assumptions. The findings have significant implications for refining physics-based eruption-forecasting models.
Researchers found variations in carbon isotopes in younger kimberlites, suggesting the Cambrian Explosion affected the Earth's lower mantle. The study suggests that changes in marine sediments leave profound traces on the Earth's interior.