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 ...

Discover how rocks, minerals & the rock cycle change your world. Join the Science Trek team to explore rocks and minerals! Discover how the Earth formed, the three types of rocks, the rock cycle, and ...

Scientists at the American Museum of Natural History and the University of Chicago have explained how a globe-encircling residue formed in the aftermath of the asteroid impact that triggered the ...

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 ...

Scientists have discovered a meteorite older than Earth, offering the earliest clues to how the Solar System formed and how ...

If you draw with a pencil, you can tell how soft the graphite inside is. Pieces of graphite break off to leave the pencil mark. But can you imagine drawing with a diamond? Diamonds and graphite are ...

Two minerals never seen on Earth before were discovered in a gigantic meteorite weighing 16.5 tons, offering researchers possible clues about how the space rocks are formed. The new minerals were ...

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 ...

Interactions between iron, water, oxygen and ions quickly become complex. MTU scientists developed a more precise method to observe how iron minerals like rust form. One can easily see with the naked ...