A research team led by
Professor Emeritus of Geological Sciences Peter Schultz recently
discovered that geological glass can contain preserved plant parts that hold
information about life forms and climate of times millions of years ago,
according to a University press release. How are these geological glass formed? What is the benefit of these finding?The team discovered glass fragments in Argentinian soil, Schultz said in the press release. One piece of glass contained plant parts from an impact 3 million years ago, while the other dated back 9 million years. The findings from this discovery, published online, will be featured in the May edition of the journal Geology.
When an asteroid or comet collides with Earth, soil and rock melt. Once these materials cool, they can form glass.
How does the formed glass preserve plants?
After finding the glass, the research team tried replicating this type of glass preservation to determine the necessary conditions for the process. They found that plant parts were preserved in glass most successfully when the glass was quickly heated to over 1,500 degrees Celcius, according to the release.
This quick and extreme heating preserves the inside layers of the plant due to the water it holds. “Its a little like deep frying,” Schultz said in the release. “The outside fries up quickly, but the inside takes much longer to cook.”
What are the benefits of these findings?
Firstly, geological glass containing preserved plant parts holds invaluable information about life forms and climate of times far back in the past. It is like a glass museum.
Secondly, The findings also suggest that if the same process of preservation occurred on Mars, glass fragments in Mars’ soil could provide information about the planet millions of years ago. Soil on Mars is similar to that the researchers examined in Argentina, suggesting that areas of Mars may contain similar fragments, according to the release.Imagine the wealth of information of that planet that would be gotten from such study.
“Impact glass may be where the 4 billion-year-old signs of life are hiding,” Schultz said in the release.
References
http://www.browndailyherald.com/2014
http://kamanconservation.blogspot.com/
No comments