Iron helped scientists trace Earth's oxygen. Now it's telling a bigger story
Researchers have discovered that ancient iron deposits in rocks provide a record of Earth's geological and biological history. The study suggests these iron cycles reflect major events like mountain building and the emergence of land plants.
Why it matters
This finding offers a new tool for geologists to interpret Earth's history and provides insights into how current climate change might reshape the planet's surface.
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Add as preferred source Dalton Hardisty working on the Great Lakes on the R/V Blue Heron. Credit: Dalton Hardisty For decades, scientists have studied iron preserved in ancient rocks to reconstruct how Earth's oceans and atmosphere became rich in oxygen. A new study suggests iron has recorded other major transformations too.
Michigan State University researcher Dalton Hardisty and colleagues found that changes in Earth's iron record also reflect the building of mountains and the rise of land plants.
This discovery offers scientists a more nuanced way to interpret more than a billion years of Earth's history—and could offer clues to how a warming climate will reshape the planet. The results are published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences .
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