New model shows Earth’s deep mantle was drier from the start

By analyzing noble gas isotope data, a scientist determined that the ancient plume mantle had a water concentration that was a factor of 4 to 250 times lower when compared with the water concentration of the upper mantle. The resulting viscosity contrast could have prevented mixing within the mantle, helping to explain certain long-standing mysteries about Earth’s formation and evolution.

Toward Scaling Up Nanocages to Trap Noble Gases

Commercially available materials may be a potentially scalable platform for trapping gases for nuclear energy and other applications.