Tag Archives: Rocks

Meteorite bombardment prone to have created the Earth’s oldest rocks

Scientists have discovered that four.02-billion-year-old silica-rich felsic rocks from the Acasta River, Canada — the oldest rock formation identified on Earth — most likely shaped at excessive temperatures and at a surprisingly shallow depth of the planet’s nascent crust. The … Continue reading

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Evolution of Alpine panorama recorded by sedimentary rocks

Rock avalanches and torrents began to type V-shaped valleys within the Swiss Alps roughly 25 million years in the past. This panorama contrasts to the flat and hilly surroundings, which characterised the Alps just a few thousands and thousands of … Continue reading

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Oldest Signs Of Life On Earth May Be In 3.95 Billion-Year-Old Rocks

Traces of graphite in ancient Canadian rocks were produced by microorganisms 3.95 billion years ago, according to new research. (Image: Tsuyoshi Komiya, The University of Tokyo) Researchers working at a sedimentary rock formation in northern Labrador, Canada, say they have … Continue reading

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arkenstone-irocks:Quick! Name those #rocks! #fineminerals…

arkenstone-irocks: Quick! Name those #rocks! #fineminerals #geology #minerals #mineralspecimens #iloverocks #rocksrock Geology Nerd

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Death Valley’s Moving Rocks

Rocks at Racetrack Playa seem to move on their own, leaving mysterious trails behind. These are the “sliding rocks” or “sailing stones” of Death Valley. First documented by miners back in the 1900s, these rocks range from pebbles to 600-pound … Continue reading

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Erratic rocks in fields and on beaches of the Isle of Wight

The Isle of Wight is a marvellous place for the geologist on holiday, but there must be a suspicion that it has all been done before. When I first visited the island in 1999, my late wife Trina said that, … Continue reading

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Why Rocks Flow Slowly in Earth’s Middle Mantle

As slabs of Earth’s crust decend into the mantle, they encounter a zone about 1,100 kilometers down where the mantle rock abruptly becomes stiffer, flowing less easily. Similarly, rising plumes of molten rock encounter the same layer and have difficulty … Continue reading

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Why rocks flow slowly in Earth’s middle mantle

Using an anvil made of diamond, researchers discover an secret of Earth’s lower mantle. Geology News — ScienceDaily

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earthstory: digita1garden: Anybody know these rocks? The first…

earthstory: digita1garden: Anybody know these rocks? The first is a green and black stone with large sparkly flakes in it. The second is a pale purple with tiny sparkles and pink column-shaped crystals. It also has an orange/brown spot on … Continue reading

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Weathering of rocks a poor regulator of global temperatures

Evidence from the age of the dinosaurs to today shows that chemical weathering of rocks is less sensitive to global temperature, and may depend on the steepness of the surface. The results call into question the role of rocks in … Continue reading

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