Latest Silicate Stories

By Louis Bergeron, Stanford UniversityA new method of capturing detailed, three-dimensional images of minute samples of material under extreme pressures is shedding light on the evolution of the Earth's interior. Early results suggest that the early Earth did not have to be entirely molten to separate into the rocky crust and iron-rich core it has today. Researchers at Stanford University and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory are leading the group pioneering the technique, which could lead...

Scientists have used quantum mechanics to reveal that the most common mineral on Earth is relatively uncommon deep within the planet.Using several of the largest supercomputers in the nation, a team of physicists led by Ohio State University has been able to simulate the behavior of silica in a high-temperature, high-pressure form that is particularly difficult to study firsthand in the lab.The resulting discovery -- reported in this week's early online edition of the Proceedings of the...