News
Mystery surrounding the formation of asteroid Bennu solved
New sample analyses by researchers at ETH Zurich point to a surprising origin for the asteroid Bennu: rather than forming far out in the Solar System, Bennu's parent body probably emerged in a special transition zone near the water-ice line, where temperatures were cold enough for water to freeze, at a time when Jupiter itself was still growing.
A new piece in the puzzle of Earth’s deep water
Scientists have identified two previously unknown iron-bearing minerals that could store water deep inside the Earth. The minerals are stable under the extreme conditions near the boundary between the mantle and the core and may have preserved water since the planet’s early history.
A missing mineral in half the planet
For decades, models of Earth’s interior have relied on a mineral that had never been measured under the conditions in which it actually exists. New measurements now show that most of the lower mantle may contain far less of this mineral than previously thought.
Meteorite uncovers ancient brines inside primitive asteroids
A rare meteorite, recovered within minutes of its fall, has revealed that salty, mineral-rich fluids once circulated inside a primitive asteroid. Researchers at ETH Zurich helped reconstruct the rock's journey through space.
Deep iron nanoparticles prove the Earth's mantle never mixed
Hidden within volcanic rocks from Hawaii, Iceland and Samoa lies a chemical relic from the earliest history of our planet.
Even the most remote ocean is contaminated with zinc from human sources
Zinc from industry and fossil fuel combustion reaches even the most remote oceans, as researchers at ETH Zurich have shown. There, it now exceeds natural inputs, potentially disturbing the balance of marine ecosystems.
The volcano that slept for 100,000 years was never truly quiet
A volcano can lie dormant for over 100,000 years not because it is dying, but because water-rich magma is trapped in the crust, silently growing its reservoir. Studying zircon crystals from the Methana volcano, scientists show how seemingly extinct volcanoes could reawaken with limited warning.
The Earth formed from local building blocks
Planetary scientists at ETH Zurich have shown that the material that makes up the Earth originates exclusively from the inner solar system. This also sheds new light on the history of our planet’s formation.
When nature turns petroleum into a resource for essential metals
Base metals such as zinc (Zn) and lead (Pb) are essential elements for our economy. They are most commonly used for galvanizing protection for steel and the manufacture of batteries. Both metals are mostly mined from deposits hosted in ancient sedimentary rock formations.
Nine new professors appointed
Earth sciences and chemistry, computer and materials science, nutrition and architecture: the incoming professors work in a wide range of very timely research fields. Seven ETH professors will soon leave the university.