Latest news with #EarthScience
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists 'strike gold' in shocking discovery from Hawaiian volcanic rocks
A German university, Göttingen University, has literally "struck gold" in recent findings from volcanic rocks. A new study of these volcanic rocks from Hawaii, that leaked out from deep under the lithosphere, contained various precious metals. Dr. Nils Messling of the Göttingen University's Department of Geochemistry said in a news release they were surprised when the test results came in. "When the first results came in, we realized that we had literally struck gold! Our data confirmed that material from the core, including gold and other precious metals, is leaking into the Earth's mantle above," Messling said. Largest Gold Deposit In The World Worth $83 Billion Found In China Approximately 99% of the Earth's gold is buried deep in the Earth's Metallic Core, far out of humankind's reach. Read On The Fox News App The gold is currently buried about 1,800 miles deep in the core. The discovery of this ruthenium, which was formed and locked down with gold, might be a telling sign that these volcanic rocks are coming from deep within the Earth. Hawaii's Kilauea Volcano Erupts With 1,000-Foot 'Lava Fountaining' "Our findings not only show that the Earth's core is not as isolated as previously assumed. We can now also prove that huge volumes of super-heated mantle material – several hundreds of quadrillion metric tonnes of rock – originate at the core-mantle boundary and rise to the Earth's surface to form ocean islands like Hawaii," said Professor Matthias Willbold in a news release. There is a way to test for isotopes of ruthenium, especially when differences are small variations of the same element. The isotopes of ruthenium in the Earth's core are slightly different from those on the surface, with the difference being too small to really detect. However, new procedures developed by researchers at the University of Göttingen have made it possible. "Whether these processes that we observe today have also been operating in the past remains to be proven. Our findings open up an entirely new perspective on the evolution of the inner dynamics of our home planet," Messling said in a statement. With these precious metals beginning to leak to the Earth's surface, it could suggest that the supplies of gold and others important for renewable energy came from the Earth's article source: Scientists 'strike gold' in shocking discovery from Hawaiian volcanic rocks
Fox News
6 days ago
- Science
- Fox News
Scientists 'strike gold' in shocking discovery from Hawaiian volcanic rocks
A German university, Göttingen University, has literally "struck gold" in recent findings from volcanic rocks. A new study of these volcanic rocks from Hawaii, that leaked out from deep under the lithosphere, contained various precious metals. Dr. Nils Messling of the Göttingen University's Department of Geochemistry said in a news release they were surprised when the test results came in. "When the first results came in, we realized that we had literally struck gold! Our data confirmed that material from the core, including gold and other precious metals, is leaking into the Earth's mantle above," Messling said. Approximately 99% of the Earth's gold is buried deep in the Earth's Metallic Core, far out of humankind's reach. The gold is currently buried about 1,800 miles deep in the core. The discovery of this ruthenium, which was formed and locked down with gold, might be a telling sign that these volcanic rocks are coming from deep within the Earth. "Our findings not only show that the Earth's core is not as isolated as previously assumed. We can now also prove that huge volumes of super-heated mantle material – several hundreds of quadrillion metric tonnes of rock – originate at the core-mantle boundary and rise to the Earth's surface to form ocean islands like Hawaii," said Professor Matthias Willbold in a news release. There is a way to test for isotopes of ruthenium, especially when differences are small variations of the same element. The isotopes of ruthenium in the Earth's core are slightly different from those on the surface, with the difference being too small to really detect. However, new procedures developed by researchers at the University of Göttingen have made it possible. "Whether these processes that we observe today have also been operating in the past remains to be proven. Our findings open up an entirely new perspective on the evolution of the inner dynamics of our home planet," Messling said in a statement. With these precious metals beginning to leak to the Earth's surface, it could suggest that the supplies of gold and others important for renewable energy came from the Earth's core.
Gizmodo
21-05-2025
- Science
- Gizmodo
Monitoring Tree Leaves From Space Could Help Predict Volcanic Eruptions
Forecasting volcanic eruptions is difficult, but not impossible. By keeping an eye on features such as ground deformation, changes in gas emissions, and ground tremors, volcanologists can sometimes make successful predictions, which save countless lives. NASA and the Smithsonian Institution are now teaming up to monitor another volcanic harbinger, but from space: leaves. Scientists already knew that tree leaves can change color when a nearby volcano becomes more active, but this collaboration aims to observe the mechanism using satellite imagery. Given that there's no way to avoid volcanic eruptions, early warning systems are the only way to keep the public safe. 'Volcano early warning systems exist,' Florian Schwandner, a volcanologist and chief of the Earth Science Division at NASA's Ames Research Center, said in a NASA statement announcing the collaboration. 'The aim here is to make them better and make them earlier.' As magma rises toward the surface of the Earth before an eruption, it releases gases such as carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide. In fact, in 2017, a monitoring network at a volcano in the Philippines—which Schwandner and his colleagues had previously upgraded to read carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide emissions—enabled government researchers to forecast a major volcanic eruption. Thanks to mass evacuations, no lives were lost. Carbon dioxide emissions are one of the earliest signs that a volcano is waking up, but they are difficult to spot directly from space. Why would we want to see carbon dioxide emissions from space? Because otherwise, volcanologists have to trek to volcanoes in person to measure them directly—a task that can be difficult, expensive, and even dangerous. 'Volcanoes emit a lot of carbon dioxide,' said Robert Bogue, a volcanologist from McGill University. However, 'a volcano emitting the modest amounts of carbon dioxide that might presage an eruption isn't going to show up in satellite imagery,' he explained. Carbon dioxide does show up, however, in trees' foliage, making it greener and more lush. As such, the NASA and Smithsonian collaboration is bringing together volcanologists, botanists, and climate scientists to investigate how researchers can use trees to monitor volcanic activity. 'The whole idea is to find something that we could measure instead of carbon dioxide directly,' Bogue explained, 'to give us a proxy to detect changes in volcano emissions.' 'There are plenty of satellites we can use to do this kind of analysis,' confirmed Nicole Guinn, a volcanologist from the University of Houston. Guinn has previously monitored trees near Italy's Mount Etna volcano using satellite imagery. The approach has constraints, however. For example, some volcanoes aren't close enough to trees for satellite images to be useful, and different trees can experience different responses to carbon dioxide. Furthermore, fires, weather events, and plant diseases can make satellite data difficult to interpret. But the truth is that no single feature can perfectly predict volcanic activity. 'There's not one signal from volcanoes that's a silver bullet,' Schwandner said. 'And tracking the effects of volcanic carbon dioxide on trees will not be a silver bullet. But it will be something that could change the game.'
Asharq Al-Awsat
17-05-2025
- Science
- Asharq Al-Awsat
KACST, Caltech Sign Agreement to Strengthen Cooperation in Earth and Space Sciences
King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have signed a new addendum to their existing Joint Center of Excellence in Earth and Space Science agreement, originally established in May 2022. The addendum aims to enhance joint research programs and broaden scientific collaboration between the two institutions. The new addendum includes activating a project utilizing hyperspectral satellite imagery to monitor methane emissions and mineral resources. It also opens the door for future joint projects in astronomy and expands Caltech's program to host visiting researchers from KACST across various ongoing collaborations. Additionally, the addendum facilitates the organization of specialized training courses offered by the Caltech Center for Technology and Management Education (CTME), helping to strengthen Saudi researchers' skills and capabilities. This collaboration is part of KACST's ongoing efforts to foster international partnerships and support advanced research projects that contribute to building national talent and achieving the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 in research, development, and innovation.
