PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Volcanic rock probe helps unlock mysteries of how Earth formed

2013-11-07
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Catriona Kelly
Catriona.Kelly@ed.ac.uk
44-131-651-4401
University of Edinburgh
Volcanic rock probe helps unlock mysteries of how Earth formed New insights gleaned from volcanic rock are helping scientists better understand how our planet evolved billions of years ago.

Studies of basalt, the material that forms from cooling lava, are being used to develop a timeline of how the planet and its atmosphere were formed.

Scientists examined liquid basalt – or magma – at record high pressures and temperatures. Their findings suggest molten magma once formed an ocean within the Earth's mantle, comprising two layers of fluid separated by a crystalline layer.

Scientists agree that Earth formed around 4.5 billion years ago, at which time much of the planet was molten. As it cooled, Earth's crust was formed. Researchers are keen to pin down how the planet's core and crust took shape and how its volcanic activity developed.

The discovery by a European team of scientists involving the University of Edinburgh, using hi-tech laboratories, supports current theories of how and when our planet evolved. To recreate conditions at the Earth's core, scientists placed basalt under pressures equivalent to almost one billion times that of Earth's atmosphere and temperatures above 2000 Celsius.

They found that at high pressure, silicon atoms in the basalt change the way in which they form bonds, which results in a denser magma. Their discovery helps pinpoint how magma behaves deep in the Earth and is a missing piece in the puzzle of how Earth's core formed.

The study, published in Nature, was supported by the Scottish Universities Physics Alliance and European Research Council and carried out with the DESY Photon Science facility at Hamburg, the Universite Pierre et Marie Curie in Paris, Vrije Universitat Amsterdam, and Goethe-Universitat Frankfurt.

Dr Chrystele Sanloup, of the University of Edinburgh's School of Physics and Astronomy, who took part in the study, said: "Modern labs make it possible for scientists to recreate conditions deep in the Earth's core, and give us valuable insight into how materials behave at such extremes. This helps us build on what we already know about how Earth formed."

### END


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Infected butterflies lead geneticists up the garden path

2013-11-07
Infected butterflies lead geneticists up the garden path UFZ researchers illustrate the weaknesses of DNA barcoding Halle/Saale. For animal species that cannot be distinguished using their external characteristics, genetic techniques such as ...

Earliest marker for autism found in young infants

2013-11-07
Earliest marker for autism found in young infants NIH-funded study finds attention to others' eyes declines in 2 to 6-month-old infants later diagnosed with autism Eye contact during early infancy may be a key to early identification of autism, according ...

NASA sees Tropical Depression 30W stretching out, fading

2013-11-07
NASA sees Tropical Depression 30W stretching out, fading Tropical Storm 30W weakened into a tropical depression again on Nov. 6 and wind shear stretched out the storm. The storm's elongation was evident in infrared NASA satellite imagery. NASA's Aqua satellite ...

Brain may play key role in blood sugar metabolism and development of diabetes

2013-11-07
Brain may play key role in blood sugar metabolism and development of diabetes Normal blood sugar regulation is a partnership between the pancreas and the brain A growing body of evidence suggests that the brain plays a key role in glucose regulation and the development ...

Researchers help make pediatric eye cancer easier to detect

2013-11-07
Researchers help make pediatric eye cancer easier to detect Parent's use of digital photography shown as an effective tool in diagnosis of retinoblastoma WACO, Texas (Nov. 6, 2013) —Can parents use digital cameras and smart phones to potentially screen ...

NASA sees heavy rain around Super-Typhoon Haiyan's eye

2013-11-07
NASA sees heavy rain around Super-Typhoon Haiyan's eye

School violence lowers test scores, not grades

2013-11-07
School violence lowers test scores, not grades WASHINGTON, DC, November 6, 2013 — It's hard to go a day without seeing news of violence in some form occurring in schools around the country, and Chicago is often cited as a city where crime rates in schools ...

In dual-career couples, mothers still do the most child care

2013-11-07
In dual-career couples, mothers still do the most child care Moms spend 70 percent of free time on parenting activities COLUMBUS, Ohio – Even in couples most likely to believe in sharing parenting responsibilities, mothers still bear significantly ...

Hospitals with neurology residency programs more likely to administer life-saving clot-busting drugs

2013-11-07
Hospitals with neurology residency programs more likely to administer life-saving clot-busting drugs tPA found underused; getting it depends on where patients are treated Stroke patients treated at hospitals with neurology residency programs are significantly ...

Stanford researchers surprised to find how neural circuits identify information needed for decisions

2013-11-07
Stanford researchers surprised to find how neural circuits identify information needed for decisions Multitasking neurons filter and decide, confounding the conventional wisdom While eating lunch you notice an insect buzzing around your plate. Its color and ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Thirty-year mystery of dissonance in the “ringing” of black holes explained

Less intensive works best for agricultural soil

Arctic rivers project receives “national champion” designation from frontiers foundation

Computational biology paves the way for new ALS tests

Study offers new hope for babies born with opioid withdrawal syndrome

UT, Volkswagen Group of America celebrate research partnership

New Medicare program could dramatically improve affordability for cancer drugs – if patients enroll

Are ‘zombie’ skin cells harmful or helpful? The answer may be in their shapes

University of Cincinnati Cancer Center presents research at AACR 2025

Head and neck, breast, lung and survivorship studies headline Dana-Farber research at AACR Annual Meeting 2025

AACR: Researchers share promising results from MD Anderson clinical trials

New research explains why our waistlines expand in middle age

Advancements in muon detection: Taishan Antineutrino Observatory's innovative top veto tracker

Chips off the old block

Microvascular decompression combined with nerve combing for atypical trigeminal neuralgia

Cutting the complexity from digital carpentry

Lung immune cell type “quietly” controls inflammation in COVID-19

Fiscal impact of expanded Medicare coverage for GLP-1 receptor agonists to treat obesity

State and sociodemographic trends in US cigarette smoking with future projections

Young adults drive historic decline in smoking

NFCR congratulates Dr. Robert C. Bast, Jr. on receiving the AACR-Daniel D. Von Hoff Award for Outstanding Contributions to Education and Training in Cancer Research

Chimpanzee stem cells offer new insights into early embryonic development

This injected protein-like polymer helps tissues heal after a heart attack

FlexTech inaugural issue launches, pioneering interdisciplinary innovation in flexible technology

In Down syndrome mice, 40Hz light and sound improve cognition, neurogenesis, connectivity

Methyl eugenol: potential to inhibit oxidative stress, address related diseases, and its toxicological effects

A vascularized multilayer chip reveals shear stress-induced angiogenesis in diverse fluid conditions

AI helps unravel a cause of Alzheimer's disease and identify a therapeutic candidate

Coalition of Autism Scientists critiques US Department of Health and Human Services Autism Research Initiative

Structure dictates effectiveness, safety in nanomedicine

[Press-News.org] Volcanic rock probe helps unlock mysteries of how Earth formed