Past work by members of the Petrology Group indicates that carbonate reduces the solidus of the subducted oceanic crust, promoting the formation of carbonatitic melts in the transition zone (Andrew R ...

Continental and oceanic plates all fit together to form the outer crust of the planet. Eight major plates are named on the diagram below. Heat from the core makes magma in the mantle rise towards ...

It suggests that vast portions of the oceanic crust may harbor complex life forms, dramatically expanding the potential habitats for deep-sea creatures. This finding could revolutionize our ...