Vulcano is part of the Aeolian Island archipelago of Italy. Named for Vulcan, Roman god of fire and metalworking, Vulcano is a unique...

Ancient microbes in harsh conditions are the earliest life forms. Fossil records appear in rock formations up to 3.7 billion years old....

Chalk is fundamentally calcium carbonate (CaCO3) and takes hundreds of millions of years to form. This seemingly mundane mineral has a...

Silica, silicon, and silicone refer to related but distinct substances with specific properties, applications, and origins. Silica is...

Natural glass gemstones are caused by extraordinary geological events, such as intense heat and cataclysmic impacts. Natural glass...

Silica, or silicon dioxide (SiO2), occurs in the Earth’s crust, the microcosm and daily life. Silica makes ancient glass such as...

Silicon (Si) is one of the most abundant elements on Earth, a ductile metal important to industry and natural processes. Silicon is in...

Calcite is made up of calcium carbonate (CaCO3). With stunning crystal formations and a range of beautiful colors, calcite also has...

Sporosarcina pasteurii is a gram-positive bacterium with the extraordinary ability to precipitate calcite and solidify sand when exposed...

Diatomaceous earth (DE) is an amazing natural powder ground from the sedimentary stone diatomite. The stone itself is made of fossilized...

Diatoms, while invisible to the naked eye, are essential to the ecosystem and human survival. These tiny microalgae prolifically generate...

Pyrometallurgy is the high-temperature processing of ores to extract and refine metals. It uses alchemical processes in a modern...

Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans is only one of the amazing bacteria used in biometallurgy. In an age of environmental concerns,...

Chalcopyrite (CuFeS₂) is vital to the earth's geology. A primary ore of copper, this scintillating mineral is influential to health,...

Copper (II) sulfate CuSO4 yields a vivid color and widespread applications. Also known as blue vitriol in alchemy and chalcanthite in...

Potash is a mineral group prized in agriculture, health and human life though history. Potash covers various potassium-rich salts,...

Iron(III) oxide or ferric oxide (Fe2O3) yields a striking red color as a pigment, and has a wide range of uses. From industrial...

The microbes of concrete corrosion include bacteria, fungi and algae. Their purpose in life is to break down and decompose matter, and...

Drawing is a creative expression for humans since cave paintings of prehistory. In art, anything making a mark is a drawing tool....

Sanguine is a rich, reddish-brown chalk beloved by Renaissance artists such as Michelangelo. Creating flesh-like tones in the human form...