Continental clues: Modern continental rocks carry chemical signatures from the very start of our planet’s history, challenging current theories about plate tectonics. Researchers have made a new ...

What is the chemical composition of the Earth’s interior? Because it is impossible to drill more than about ten kilometres deep into the Earth, volcanic rocks formed by melting Earth’s deep interior ...

Earth’s surface environment hosts large reservoirs of hydrogen (H, mainly in the form of water, H2O), nitrogen (in atmospheric N2) and carbon (mainly in carbonate rocks). H, N and C are sometimes ...

For centuries, scientists have tried to answer the question, “What’s the Earth made of?” While drilling projects and geological studies have revealed clues about the planet’s crust, the deeper layers ...

Scientists have revealed that two continent-size regions in Earth's deep mantle have distinctive histories and resulting chemical composition, in contrast to the common assumption they are the same. A ...

Geologists have detected a unique chemical signature, a deficit of potassium-40, in ancient mantle rocks. This anomaly suggests that remnants of "proto-Earth," material predating our planet's ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Earth's first crust looked ...

Chris Kirkland receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the Minerals Research Institute of Western Australia. Andreas Zametzer does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive ...