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What Rare Minerals Make Earth Unique

February 15, 2016 By Jakob Nielsen Leave a Comment

What Rare Minerals Make Earth Unique

Scientists compiled a list of what rare minerals make Earth unique and different from all other planets and natural satellites we have been so concerned with exploring.

Researchers compiled a list of 2,550 truly rare minerals
To be considered “rare”, minerals have to form under very specific conditions and in unique locations
There are around 120 minerals discovered each year

It’s a fascinating fact that we spend energy wondering about the spectacular discoveries waiting outside the limits of our planet, when Earth in itself is a truly unique planet in the solar system. For all we know, we truly live in a place that is exceptional. It still holds mysteries and annually unveils new minerals that are specific to its surface yet have passed our attention. It’s only due to advancing technology that we are growing closer to discovering them.

According to the researchers, there are around 120 minerals uncovered every year, which is roughly the double of what was discovered two decades ago. And yet, we seem to have a skewed perception of what is truly “rare”. Co-author of the study, Robert Hazen from the Carnegie Institution, stated it’s ironic how diamonds and other precious gems are so highly valued. When looking at the bigger picture, they’re actually not rare at all.

Diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and numerous others are considered rare gems even though they are sold in bulk. However, they are not even close to the criteria defined by scientists. In fact, some of the truly rare elements have a quantity of them found that is smaller than a sugar cube. Now that’s genuinely rare. And some are equally beautiful, if not even more.

According to Hazen and his co-author, Jesse Ausubel, the minerals are rare when they only form under unique conditions, are ephemeral, melt or evaporate, belong in places rarely visited by geologists, or are rare based on planetary constraints. To view it more easily, Hazen stated one should imagine a kitchen stove and a pressure cooker. It may take common ingredients to prepare the rare minerals, but it also requires specific temperatures, pressures, and other conditions that do not occur every day.

For example, minerals such as abelsonite, cobalminite, edoylerite, and fingerite are considered rare because they “cook” at exquisitely controlled conditions.

Taking into account their criteria, there are just 2,550 minerals on Earth that are considered rare. One example would be ichnusaite, which has only one known unit. Another would be fingerite, only found in El Salvador. There are minerals that can be sampled from just five or less regions around the globe. And yet, more common gems such as diamonds are valued much higher.

According to Hazen, it’s the rare minerals that make Earth unique in the cosmos. They’re incredibly important in understanding Earth’s complex system, filled with life, water, tectonic movement, earthquakes, and other biological processes. It’s a highly dynamic place that is not yet fully discovered.

Image source: wallpaperswa.com

Mysterious Crack Opens Up Deep In Michigan Forest

February 10, 2016 By Jason Brusse Leave a Comment

This massive crack mysteriously opens in Michigan.

This massive crack mysteriously opens up in Michigan.

A mysterious crack opens up deep in Michigan Forest, as the scientists inform us. A strange and sudden buckling of the earth in Michigan five years ago is now being explained as a limestone bulge.

Seismologists are studying a massive crack in the ground that appeared north of Menominee, Michigan in 2010
The crack split the ground for 110 meters, and was as deep as 1.7 meters in some places.
A team of scientists affirm that the crack is probably a ‘pop-up’ feature
‘Pop-ups’ develop in places where the earth rebounds after an overlying glacier shrinks away or when rock overburden is removed in a quarry

As many of you may already be aware of, to a geologist, a rock is not just a rock. Relying on that theory, a big crack in the ground is not what it first seems either.

One such split, north of Menominee, Michigan, in the state’s Upper Peninsula, is a large crack that formed in 2010. Not known for its earthquakes, Michigan is considered aseismic, and the Menominee Crack registered the Upper Peninsula’s first recorded earthquake measured at less than magnitude 1. The feature and its causes were mysterious.

Now, researchers from Michigan Technological University think they have identified what the feature is: a geological pop-up. The odd structure is often found at the base of quarries or where glaciers have recently receded. The team, led by Wayne Pennington, dean of the College of Engineering at Michigan Tech, says the Menominee Crack is a one-of-a-kind feature, as far as they can tell.

Scientists made the observation using a sledgehammer that was slammed into a metal ball on the ground, and then measured the sound waves to get a picture of the soil and rock layers below. They found a sharp buckle in the limestone where the crack was located.

Pennington stated in a declaration that ‘the crack itself was not as important to note as the ridge’, adding that the ridge indicated a deeper structure. He also affirmed that pop-ups usually form where downward pressure is lessened, most commonly at quarries and glacial zones where the overlying rock or ice has been removed.

One final clue was the loss, to lightning, of a giant white pine tree in the week before the crack appeared. ‘The timing is remarkable, and it leads us to be suspicious, but the tree weighed less than a fully loaded dump truck’, Pennington told Live Science.

All in all, the researchers admit that the cause of the crack remains a mystery but it also makes the feature unique.

The earth is still full of surprises. It’s just a little surprise, but it’s still interesting and we’re always learning more.

Pennington stated.

Image Source: phys.org

A Medium-Sized Asteroid Could Bring An Ice Age

February 10, 2016 By Jakob Nielsen Leave a Comment

The impact will have long-term consequences

It appears that a medium-sized asteroid could bring an Ice Age for the better part of a decade on Earth should it hit our planet on land. Given recent news of close fly-bys, it’s interesting to know what could happen. We will not be hit by asteroids for the foreseeable future, but what if?

Researchers studied the consequences of a potential impact with a 0.6-mile-wide asteroid
The collision would create a 9-mile-wide crater, and would release dust and soot in to the air
It would cause average global temperatures to drop by 14.5^o F
Precipitations would drop by 50% and the UV index will reach 20 in the tropics

A new study from the National Center for Atmospheric Research shed a little light on the matter of a potential asteroid impact. Specifically, their study focused on the possibility of a 0.6-mile-wide (1 km) asteroid hitting a landmass on Earth, as opposed to water. And, apparently, the consequences will be massive, long-term, and highly detrimental to the health of the planet. In turn, it will also become a major negative influence on humanity.

First of all, the impact would create a 9-mile-wide crater (15 km). This will throw large amounts of dust into the atmosphere. Barring the asteroid landing in a desert area with little vegetation, the collision will also trigger numerous wildfires, which will send tremendous amounts of soot into the air. This will quickly make an impact on the protective ozone layer and temperatures around our world. And, unfortunately, these effects could last up to 10 years.

According to the study, the impact of such an asteroid will cause a significant impact on global average temperatures. Particularly, they will drop by 14.5^o Fahrenheit (8^o Celsius), which Charles Bardeen, stated that is “about the equivalent of the ice ages”. That is because the dust and soot will reduce the amount of sunlight we’re getting by around 70% in the first few years and then gradually lower to 20%. It will mean much cooler temperatures everywhere around the world, with a further negative impact on global agriculture, animals, and, of course, ourselves.

After the hypothetical collision with the asteroid, the dust will take up to 6 years to settle and the soot will remain in the atmosphere for 10 years. While this will temporarily cool down the planet, which might need it a little given issue of global warming, it’s not so beneficial and it’s not simple either. In fact, it will be temporary and the effects will still be felt long after. The chemical reactions that destroy the much-needed ozone layer will speed up.

It’s a vital protective layer that protects us from the Sun’s damaging rays. After the asteroid impact, it will be temporarily reduced by 55%. That means that the UV index will top at 20 in the tropics for a couple of years. It would be extremely dangerous, considering the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency describes an UV index of 11 to be “extreme risk of harm from unprotected sun exposure”. One can imagine what would happen if that number would be almost double.

Global precipitations will also be reduced by 50% which means bad times for agriculture. This would be especially the case in North American, Europe, and Asia. It will be cold and dry, and “these would not be pleasant times”, as stated by Bardeen.

However, what would be the impact if the asteroid hits water? After all, Earth is 70% water, so there’s a bigger statistical chance of it not making impact on land. According to Bardeen, the impact on the ozone layer will be much harsher. The resulting vapors will nearly destroy the protective layer, and will cause the UV index to temporarily reach 56. That means that everyone will be indoors during the day for their own safety.

However, the temperature and effects on the climate, such as rain, would not be as dramatic as a land collision.

Thankfully, the chances of such an impact are remote. NASA is tracking almost 13,000 near-Earth objects (NEOs), and only 1,607 of them are categorized as Potentially Hazardous Asteroids. Among them, 879 are at least 0.6-mile-wide as the one described in the study. However, none present with an immediate threat. And if one should set its crosshair on Earth, there are methods ready to be used against it.

If NASA has a 10-year notice on the potential impact, the asteroid could be steered off-course using “kinetic impactors” that slam into the space rock, “gravity tractor” probes that fly alongside it and slowly nudge it, or there is the potential use of destroying it with a nuclear bomb. And if all else fails, someone will get Bruce Willis on the phone.

Image source: wired.co.uk

Another Close Fly-By Asteroid Will Pass Earth

February 9, 2016 By Daniel Austin Leave a Comment

The asteroid will not hit Earth

Next month, another close fly-by asteroid will pass Earth, but there are fortunately no chances of impact that could be damaging to our planet or its population.

Asteroid 2013 TX68 was first discovered in October 2013
It’s likely to pass by our planet on March 5th of this year
Due to the short glimpse into its pattern, astronomers cannot precisely predict how close it would get, but it will definitely not collide with our planet
The margin of error stands between 11,000 miles and 9 million miles

NASA announced that asteroid 2013 TX68 will pass Earth on March 5^th, but will definitely not collide with our planet. One could say that it might then offer a source of fascination and something to analyze by astronomers, but it’s difficult to say if it will be the case. The asteroid orbit is a bit of a mystery and the margin of error far too wide to fully know its trajectory.

The upcoming fly-by rock was first discovered in October 2013, though scientists have gotten a very short glimpse at it. It was around 1 million miles away, and it was only observed for 3 days in total while on the night side of Earth. Once moved to day time, it became difficult for astronomers to further analyze, and, thus, its true path has remained largely unknown.

NASA’s estimations of how close 2013 TX68 will get to our planet ranges from 11,000 miles (18,000 km) to 9 million miles (14 million km) away. It’s safe to say it’s a pretty wide margin, which makes it impossible to predict if the asteroid will be visible on our sky with a telescope or much too far away for observation. Due to its relatively small size, which is around 100 feet (30 m) across, it may pose as a challenge for astronomers.

And, possibly a bit of a tease. It could be there, or it might not.

According to Paul Chodas, from NASA’s Centre for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEO), the asteroid’s orbit is “quite uncertain”. Its trajectory might actually be easier to understand after it passes our planet, even though Earth’s gravity might influence it. The space rock could also pass within 12,500 miles (20,000 km) of the Moon, which could further impact its orbit.

It’s important to determine 2013 TX68’s trajectory, as CNEO stated it could actually collide with Earth on September 28^th, 2017 if its current path has been properly understood and remains firm to its course. However, while there is a chance of that happening, it’s very remote. According to CNEO, it’s a 1 in 250 million shot, so there’s no need to panic or prepare the bunker.

Image source: guardianlv.com

The Moon Formed after Theia Hit Earth

January 31, 2016 By Daniel Austin 1 Comment

"The Moon Formed after Earth Collided with Theia "

A team of scientist proved that the Moon formed when Theia collided with Earth, by analyzing the oxygen isotopes found in rock samples.

Recently, there was a change of heart among the scientific community. The debate about the Moon’s formation is an old one, but it seem that an intrepid team of scientists managed, to put an end to it. According to their paper, the Moon formed after Theia hit Earth, a planetary-mass object.

Scientists analyzed the levels of oxygen isotopes in the rock sample brought from the Moon;
The rock samples from the Moon have been harvested by the Apollo missions;
Theia is a planetary-mass object that collided with Earth 4.5 billion years ago;
There is no difference in isotope levels between the lunar rocks samples and the samples taken from Earth.

There have been many talks surrounding the formation of Earth’s natural satellite. While most of the scientists supported the theory according to which our Moon formed as a direct result of a violent collision, which allegedly took place 4.5 billion years ago, others argued that the moon formed after a travelling celestial body got caught in Earth’s gravitational field.

But this brand new theory may indeed put an end to all debates regarding the Moon’s genesis. According to the recently published paper, the moon indeed formed after our planet collided with Theia, a hypothetical proto-planet. The impact took place approximately 4.5 billion years ago and the event was so violent, that big chunks originating from both Earth and Theia became dislodged and caught into Earth’s gravitational field.

This new theory is supported by a chemical analysis performed on rock sample brought from the moon. According to the scientists working on the project, it would seem that the moon rock samples have the same oxygen isotopes like the sample taken from Earth.

Edward Young, the lead author of the study, declared that in terms of isotopic signature, there is no significant difference between the rock sample brought to Earth by the Apollo missions and the samples harvested from Earth.

This simple chemical analysis could lead to a groundbreaking discovery on the origins of our Solar System. Moreover, although many million years have passed since Theia collided with Earth, it would seem that parts of the massive celestial body can still be found on Earth.

The scientists have also unearthed another fact that reinforces their theory according to which the Moon formed after Theia hit Earth. By analyzing the rock samples, they have discovered that the rocks from Earth have more elements in common with Theia than the rock sample harvested from the moon.

In order to see if there is any difference in oxygen isotopes, the scientists compared the levels of O-17, O-16 and O-19. The experiments revealed that the lunar rock sampled bore the undistinguishable O-16 and O-17 signatures, which are endemic to planets like Mars and Earth.

In conclusion, the team of scientists managed to prove that the Moon’s formation was the direct result of Theia colliding with our own planet.

Photo credits:www.wikipedia.org

Mysterious Crack Opens Up Deep In Michigan Forest

A Medium-Sized Asteroid Could Bring An Ice Age

Another Close Fly-By Asteroid Will Pass Earth

The Moon Formed after Theia Hit Earth

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