Rocks in the News

Perseverance rover’s analysis of a mudstone core from “Cheyava Falls” revealed minerals and organic carbon patterns that, on Earth, are linked to microbial activity. Published in Nature after year-long peer review.

NASA’s Curiosity rover accidentally ran over a Martian rock and split it open, exposing bright yellow sulfur crystals—the first pure elemental sulfur ever found on Mars.

Sand extraction has tripled since 2000 and is rising 6% annually. 50 billion tonnes are consumed each year. Desert sand is useless for construction—its grains are too round. We could face critical shortages by 2050.

UNEP warns sand and gravel are the most extracted materials on Earth, with demand outpacing natural replenishment. The report calls for governance reforms and sustainable alternatives.

Thieves used a blowtorch and angle grinder to break into the geology and mineralogy gallery, making off with irreplaceable gold specimens.

A five-year smuggling operation extracted approximately 150,000 pounds of paleontological resources from protected federal land in Utah, primarily dinosaur bones.

The El Ali meteorite, containing three minerals never before seen on Earth (elaliite, elkinstantonite, olsénite), was reportedly smuggled out of Somalia. Estimated value: $30 million.

The Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt in northern Quebec has been confirmed as containing 4.16-billion-year-old rocks—remnants of ancient ocean floor from the Hadean eon.

David Hole found a 17kg rock in Australia that he kept for years thinking it contained gold. It was actually a rare H5 chondrite meteorite—a 4.6-billion-year-old piece of the early solar system.

An asteroid that exploded over Germany left behind aubrite meteorites—only the 12th observed fall of this type ever. About 200 pieces were recovered, totaling 1.8 kg.

Kīlauea’s 38th eruptive episode since December 2024 produced fountains reaching 300 meters and volcanic ‘volnados.’ The eruption destroyed a USGS monitoring camera on the crater rim.

Nine eruptions since December 2023 near Grindavík, Iceland. The seventh eruption engulfed the Blue Lagoon parking lot and threatened protective barriers. Thousands evacuated.

The Motswedi diamond, recovered from the Karowe mine, is surpassed only by the 3,106-carat Cullinan Diamond found in 1905. Named ‘water spring’ in Setswana.

South African diamonds contain nickel-rich metallic inclusions, providing the first direct evidence of deep mantle chemical reactions. These tiny prisoners of geology carry secrets from 150+ km down.

Kimberlite eruptions carry diamonds from mantle depths at speeds up to 80 mph. The explosions are among the most violent volcanic events on Earth.

Researchers found evidence of Earth’s magnetic field preserved in ancient rocks, pushing back the known record of our planet’s magnetic shield.

Seven tiny grains from China’s Chang’e-6 mission revealed traces of a CI chondrite meteorite in lunar soil—the first time this specific meteorite type has been found on the Moon.

Visitors who take rocks from national parks—especially Hawai’i Volcanoes—frequently mail them back with letters apologizing for the “bad luck” that followed. Park rangers receive packages constantly.