Minerals are geologic time capsules of the environments in which they form. With the right approach, their mysteries can be cracked open to reveal key features of the ancient Earth or other planets.

Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Robert Hazen was attending a Christmas party, one December night in ...

Geology reference texts define mineral species based on chemical composition and crystal structure. But mineral samples collected in the field often contain trace elements and structural defects that ...

“Early in my career, as I studied at the China University of Geosciences in Wuhan, I wanted to discover where and how minerals formed. Now, I develop geochemical tools to explore how minerals form in ...

The impact of Earth’s geology on life is easy to see, with organisms adapting to environments as different as deserts, mountains, forests, and oceans. The full impact of life on geology, however, can ...

If every mineral tells a story, then geologists now have their equivalent of The Arabian Nights. For the first time, scientists have cataloged every different way that every known mineral can form and ...

There's some complex chemistry behind a cave's stalactites and stalagmites. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. Stalactites and ...

If you know what diatoms are, it's probably because of their beauty. These single-celled algae found on the ocean floor have ...

From China’s ‘strategic new frontiers’ to scientists discovering rare earth minerals in a fern, here’s a round-up from ...

Amethyst geodes—some stretching 5 m long—dot the ancient lava flows of Uruguay’s Los Catalanes mining area. The geodes contain calcite, colorless quartz, and agate, another quartz mineral. Large ...

A bright fireball streaked across the sky above mountains, glaciers and spruce forest near the town of Revelstoke in British Columbia, Canada, on the evening of March 31, 1965. Fragments of this ...