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It's not uncommon in the scientific world for a process to have many unique applications. Researchers have taken a water treatment technology and adapted it for another environmentally important function -- selectively separating rare earth elements and transition metals. This chemical process significantly reduces both the energy and product consumption involved with rare earth element recovery.

The transition zone between the Earth's upper and lower mantle contains considerable quantities of water, according to an international study. The research team analyzed a rare diamond formed 660 meters below the Earth's surface using techniques including Raman spectroscopy and FTIR spectrometry. The study confirmed something that for a long time was only a theory, namely that ocean water accompanies subducting slabs and thus enters the transition zone. This means that our planet's water cycle […]

Scientists who drilled deeper into an undersea earthquake fault than ever before have found that the tectonic stress in Japan's Nankai subduction zone is less than expected.  The findings are a puzzle but will help scientists home in on the link between tectonic forces and the earthquake cycle and potentially lead to better earthquake forecasts, both at Nankai and other megathrust faults such as Cascadia in the Pacific Northwest. The drilling reached over two miles into the Nankai subduction […]

Researchers have shed new light on the formation of increasingly precious rare earth elements (REEs) by creating synthetic rocks and testing their responses to varying environmental conditions. REEs are used in electronic devices and green energy technologies, from smartphones to e-cars. The findings, have implications for recycling REEs from electronic waste, designing materials with advanced functional properties, and even for finding new REE deposits hidden around the globe.

The traditional hypothesis about totally molten magma chambers (key to volcanic activity) may just be correct, despite some recent studies claiming otherwise. Wits researchers have compelling evidence for the existence of such a magma chamber deep within a South Africa's ancient crust.