New study reveals the secret of magmas that produce global treasures
South Africa's history and economy has been built on its rich natural treasures of a number of precious metals, stones and minerals.
A mineral blueprint for finding Burgess Shale-type fossils
Scientists have identified a mineral signature for sites that are more likely to contain rare fossils that preserve evidence of soft tissue -- essential information to understanding ancient life.
Meteorite analysis shows reduced salt is key in Earth’s new recipe
Scientists have found the halogen levels in the meteorites that formed the Earth billions of years ago are much lower than previously thought.
Geophysicists uncover new evidence for an alternative style of plate tectonics
When renowned University of Toronto (U of T) geophysicist J. Tuzo Wilson cemented concepts in the emerging field of plate tectonics in the 1960s, he revolutionized the study of Earth's physical characteristics and behaviours.
An international group of scientists reveals the mystery about the origin of gold
An international group of scientists, with the participation of the University of Granada (UGR), has shed new light on the origin of gold, one of the most intriguing mysteries for Mankind since ancient times and which even today doesn't have an answer that convinces the scientific community.
Why did the Earth’s ancient oceans disappear?
We think of oceans as being stable and permanent. However, they move at about the same speed as your fingernails grow. Geoscientists at CEED, University of Oslo have found a novel way of mapping the Earth’s ancient oceans.
Yellowstone spawned twin super-eruptions that altered global climate
A new geological record of the Yellowstone supervolcano's last catastrophic eruption is rewriting the story of what happened 630,000 years ago and how it affected Earth's climate. This eruption formed the vast Yellowstone caldera observed today, the second largest on Earth.
Research sheds new light on early turquoise mining in Southwest
Turquoise is an icon of the desert Southwest, with enduring cultural significance, especially for Native American communities. Yet, relatively little is known about the...
Ancient, lost, mountains in the Karoo reveals the secrets of massive extinction event
Millions of years ago, a mountain range that would have dwarfed the Andes mountains in South America, stretched over what is currently the southern-most tip of Africa.
Volcanic eruptions linked to social unrest in Ancient Egypt
Around 245 BCE Ptolemy III, ruler of the Ptolemaic Kingdom in Egypt, made a decision that still puzzles many historians: After pursuing a successful military campaign against the kingdom's nemesis, the Seleucid Empire, centred mainly in present-day Syria and Iraq, Ptolemy III suddenly decided to return home.
Researchers document one of planet’s largest volcanic eruptions
Washington State University researchers have determined that the Pacific Northwest was home to one of the Earth's largest known volcanic eruptions, a millennia-long spewing of sulfuric gas that blocked out the sun and cooled the planet.
Lost continent of Zealandia: Scientists return from expedition to sunken land
After a nine-week voyage to study the lost, submerged continent of Zealandia in the South Pacific, a team of 32 scientists from 12 countries has arrived in Hobart, Tasmania, aboard the research vessel JOIDES Resolution.
Diamonds show Earth still capable of ‘superhot’ surprises
Diamonds may be ‘forever’ but some may have formed more recently than geologists thought. A study of 26 diamonds, formed under extreme melting conditions in the Earth’s mantle, found two populations, one of which has geologically ‘young’ ages.
Earthquake faults may have played key role in shaping the culture of ancient Greece
The Ancient Greeks may have built sacred or treasured sites deliberately on land previously affected by earthquake activity, according to a new study by the University of Plymouth.
Dust deposits give new insights into the history of the Sahara
The Sahara is the world's largest desert and dust source with significant impacts on trans-Atlantic terrestrial and large-scale marine ecosystems.
