Latest Isotope geochemistry Stories

The continental crust is the principal record of conditions on the Earth for the last 4.4 billion years. Its formation modified the composition of the mantle and the atmosphere, it supports life, and it remains a sink for carbon dioxide through weathering and erosion. The continental crust therefore has had a key role in the evolution of the Earth, and yet the timing of its generation remains the topic of considerable debate.It is widely believed that the juvenile continental crust has grown...

Researchers discover evidence for the oldest Earth mantle reservoir on Baffin IslandResearchers have found a primitive Earth mantle reservoir on Baffin Island in the Canadian Arctic. Geologist Matthew Jackson and his colleagues from a multi-institution collaboration report the finding--the first discovery of what may be a primitive Earth mantle--this week in the journal Nature.The Earth's mantle is a rocky, solid shell that is between the Earth's crust and the outer core, and makes up about...