SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN Really big asteroid strikes may cause melting and deep deformations that eventually lead to volcanic eruptions. Listen to the podcast at Scientific American’s 60-Second Science.
Missions to study the other planetary bodies in our solar system could help solve the mystery of how our own came to be. Read the full story at Smithsonian.com.
Lavas that originate deep in the mantle offer insight into the early days of planet Earth. Listen to the full podcast at Science.
The early solar system was hot and violent–not the kind of place you’d expect water to hang around. But new measurements of lava from Baffin Island, which may contain samples of deep mantle material, suggest that somehow it did. The findings contradict the conventional view that Earth formed dry and got its water later, from … More The origin of Earth’s water
Plate tectonics created our planet’s ocean basins and mountain ranges, yet scientists still puzzle over how it began. Now, a group of researchers have proposed that mantle plumes could have done the trick. Learn more in my story for Science.
Scientists have found tiny bits of carbon trapped inside a 4.1 billion-year-old crystal from Australia. They say the inclusions may represent the earliest evidence of life on Earth. Read more about the discovery, and the controversy, in my story for Science Magazine.
Granite is the most common rock in continental crust, but only on Earth. So far, scientists have not found significant amounts of granite on any other planets. What makes ours different? Water. Learn how our oceans have shaped the world we live on in my blog post for Nautilus.
Believe it or not, scientists still don’t know exactly how or when Earth got its water. Most think water must have come later, delivered by meteors or comets, but a new study suggests it may have been present from our planet’s birth. Find out why in my podcast for Scientific American’s 60 Second Science.
Julia Rosen 