Phosphorus is a key biologic element, and a prebiotic pathway leading to its incorporation into biomolecules has been difficult to ascertain. Most potentially prebiotic phosphorylation reactions have relied on orthophosphate as the source of phosphorus. It is suggested here that the geochemistry of phosphorus on the early Earth was instead controlled by reduced oxidation state phosphorus compou...

The formation of amphibole cumulates beneath arc volcanoes is a key control on magma geochemistry, and generates a hydrous lower crust. Despite being widely inferred from trace element geochemistry as a major lower crustal phase, amphibole is neither abundant nor common as a phenocryst phase in arc lavas and erupted pyroclasts, prompting some authors to refer to it as a 'cryptic' fractionating ...

E volutionary theory states that some differences between individuals in a population are heritable, so that, when the environment changes, individuals bearing traits that provide the best adaptation to the new environment have the greatest chance for reproductive success. In a recent article in the American Mineralogist (1), Hazen et al. apply the term “evolution” to minerals in a similar mann...

The most volcanically active regions of our planet are concentrated along the axes of the globe, encircling midocean ridges. These undersea mountain ranges, and most of the oceanic crust, result from the complex interplay between magmatic (i.e., eruptions of lavas on the surface and intrusion of magma at depth) and tectonic (i.e., faulting, thrusting, and rifting of the solid portions of the ou...

During the last century, the Earth Sciences underwent two major revolutions in understanding. The first was the recognition of the great antiquity of the Earth and the second was the development of plate tectonic theory. These leaps in knowledge moved geology from its largely descriptive origins and established the modern, quantitative, Earth sciences. For any science, and particularly for the ...

Introduction Fantasy novels have existed for a long time, but came into prominence after J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings series. This series introduced many concepts into fantasy and created a genre sometimes known as “high fantasy.” Many novels are written in this mold every year, and in addition, people indulge in pretending they are a part of this kind of world through such role-playing g...