Lunar rocks are famously dry. They contain almost none of the volatile elements that easily escape into space, such as ...

Volatile mystery The rocky planets Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. (Courtesy: NASA) Planetary scientists in France have reviewed and analysed recent research on the origins of “volatile” elements in ...

How a planet comes together has implications for whether it captures and retains the volatile elements, including nitrogen, carbon and water, that eventually give rise to life, according to scientists ...

Scientists at the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) combined dynamical, thermal, and chemical models of the Moon’s formation to explain the relative lack of volatile elements in lunar rocks. Lunar ...

Understanding how these volatile elements made it to Earth helps planetary scientists like us better understand Earth’s geologic history, and it could teach us more about the habitability of ...

In two separate studies, researchers identify nucleosynthetic isotope anomalies in the volatile elements potassium (K) and zinc (Zn) in meteorites, which constrain the origins of the material that ...

Imagine reconstructing the itinerary of a globe-trotting, Carmen-Sandiego-like character using nothing but the beach sand accumulated in the bottom of her suitcase. That’s a task that even a CSI ...

Scientists still debate the origins of Earth’s life-sustaining elements. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. For many years, ...

Geologists gain new insights regarding the Earth's composition by analyzing meteorites. They conclude that the building blocks that brought volatile elements to Earth have a chemical composition ...

For years, scientists have puzzled over why Earth and Mars are missing certain key elements. Now, a fresh study suggests these ingredients weren’t missing from the start. Instead, they were likely ...

Earth didn’t exactly start out ready to support life, but scientists now have a better idea of how the essential elements for life ended up on our planet, according to a study published Wednesday in ...