Eclogites are beautiful rocks that on Earth are associated with the process of subduction – where pieces of crust sink into the deep mantle region. A recent paper by Makoto Kimura and 5 other Japanese authors, describes the first ever evidence of eclogitic rocks found beyond Earth, formed within an unusually large asteroid now found only… Continue reading Exciting extraterrestrial eclogites
Category: geochemistry
A deeper look at the geology of diamonds
The geology of diamonds is fascinating in itself, but they also give insights into wider geological processes and history. Up until 1725, diamonds were only known from India. That all changed when Brazilians panning river sediments for gold, instead found diamonds. Recent studies of inclusions in Brazilian diamonds give insights into what was going on deep under… Continue reading A deeper look at the geology of diamonds
Some facets of the Geology of Diamonds
Originally published on the Scientific American guest blog. Geoscientists can’t say if diamonds are forever, but they can say that some are already billions of years old. They form in a place we’ll never reach: the deep earth, hundreds of kilometres under our feet. Diamonds tell us much about this hidden world and how it… Continue reading Some facets of the Geology of Diamonds
Cornwall: tin, pasties and the world
The county of Cornwall is like England’s foot, stretching out languorously into the warm waters of the Gulf Stream. Now a relatively poor area, best known for fishing and tourism, it has a proud industrial past based on mining, notably of tin. Once the most important thing about Britain, Cornish tin is now distributed across the world.… Continue reading Cornwall: tin, pasties and the world