Heterogeneous Earth’s mantle drilled at an embryonic ocean

Mantle processes control plate tectonics and exert an influence on biogeo- chemical cycles. However, the proportion of mantle sampled in-situ is minimal, as it is buried beneath igneous crust and sediments. Here we report the lithological characteristics of two mantle sections from an embryonic ocean drilled by the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) in the … Read more…

Earth’s ‘boring billion years’ created the conditions for complex life

Sydney University Media Release, 20 October 2025 Plate tectonics played central role shaping life-supporting oceans Between 1.8 and 0.8 billion years ago, Earth’s tectonic activity locked atmospheric carbon dioxide into carbonate minerals within the oceanic crust, paving the way for oxygen-rich seas and evolving life. Source: research paper A study led by researchers from the … Read more…

Solid Earth carbon degassing and sequestration since 1 billion years ago

Solid Earth CO2 outgassing, driven by plate tectonic processes, is a key driver of carbon cycle models. However, the magnitudes and variations in outgassing are poorly constrained in deep-time. We assess plate tectonic carbon emissions and sequestration by coupling a plate tectonic model with reconstructions of oceanic plate carbon reservoirs and with a thermodynamic model … Read more…

What made Earth a giant snowball 700m years ago? Scientists have an answer

8 February 2024, University of Sydney Media release Historically low volcanic emissions and weathering events seem likely cause Dr Adriana Dutkiewicz was inspired during a field trip to the Flinders Ranges to find out how volcanic activity turned our blue dot to an ice covered planet. Together with Professor Dietmar Muller and the EarthByte group, … Read more…