In a recent paper published in Geology, scientists propose that certain kinds of wrinkle structures in sedimentary rock are the remnants of ancient microbial communites, similar to those found in deep ocean whale falls today. Geologists have long considered these wrinkle structures as physical in nature, formed by underwater landslides, because the deepsea environment wasn't thought to be hospitable to photosynthetic microbes. In their paper, the researchers demonstate how chemosynthetic microbes, which need no light to grow, could thrive in these environments and leave these wrinkles structures behind. 

A new study led by the University of Liverpool examined olivine to better understand how it deforms. The researchers were surprised to find that about 17% of the crystals showed evidence of deformation involving previously overlooked “b” dislocations.

The mechanisms underlying two important phenomena in the Archean—the emergence of continental crust and the presence of an exceptionally strong geomagnetic field—remain poorly understood. Notably, these two phenomena are temporally correlated, both intensified between ~3.5 and ~2.5 Ga, and declined rapidly at the end of the Archean. A recent study proposes that water-induced mantle overturn that originates from the magma ocean, provides a unified explanation for both the origin and co-evolution of Archean continents and the paleomagnetic field.

POSTECH, the National Disaster Management Research Institute, and the Korea Research Institute for Human Settlements analyze society’s view of disasters using AI.

In the lush landscapes of tropical agriculture, two waste products—oyster shells from the sea and coconut shells from the trees—are being combined to solve a major headache for farmers: how to turn animal manure into high-quality compost faster and more effectively. A study recently published in Carbon Research reveals that a unique "Ca-modified biochar" can act as a powerful catalyst for the composting process. Developed by a research team at Hainan University, this new material helps transform pig manure and rice straw into stable, nutrient-rich humus, significantly boosting the quality of the final fertilizer.