Geology & Geophysics News
LSU Professors Join Historic Effort to Drill Earth's Mantle and Retrieve Rare Deep-Earth Samples
Beneath our feet lies a hidden world of searing rock, constantly churning and shifting, driving the slow yet relentless movement of Earth’s tectonic plates. The mantle, positioned between the crust and the core, powers volcanoes, can flow like honey or break in earthquakes, and even forms diamonds. Despite comprising 84% of the planet's volume, this vast layer remains largely a mystery. Now, a groundbreaking expedition—including two LSU professors—has successfully drilled into the mantle, recovering rocks never before observed. Their discoveries could transform our understanding of plate tectonic processes, natural hazards and uncover potential new energy resources.
LSU’s SEM Upgrade Powers Geological Discovery
Groundbreaking research often requires tools that let scientists see beyond what the human eye can detect. At LSU, two professors in the Department of Geology and Geophysics, Assistant Professor Eirini Poulaki and Assistant Professor Brandon Shuck, are leading a transformative upgrade to the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) housed in the LSU Advanced Microscopy and Analytical Core (AMAC), giving researchers clearer, deeper views into the materials they study.
LSU Rover to Hunt Hidden Ice on Mars and the Moon
LSU researchers are developing a rover to ‘prospect’ for ice on the Moon and Mars, in support of NASA’s Moon to Mars Program.
Earth’s Crust Is Tearing Apart Off the Pacific Northwest — and That’s Not Necessarily Bad News
With unprecedented clarity, scientists have directly observed a subduction zone—the collision point where one tectonic plate dives beneath another—actively breaking apart. The discovery, reported in Science Advances, sheds new light on how Earth’s surface evolves and raises fresh questions about future earthquake risks in the Pacific Northwest.