The Esquel pallasite from the Natural History Museum collections, consists of gem-quality crystals of the silicate mineral olivine embedded in a matrix of iron-nickel alloy.

Death of a dynamo – a hard drive from space

21 January 2015

Hidden magnetic messages contained within ancient meteorites are providing a unique window into the processes that shaped our solar system, and may give a sneak preview of the fate of the Earth’s core as it continues to freeze.

Read More

Luck and lava

06 October 2014

A team of researchers from Cambridge’s Department of Earth Sciences have recently returned from Iceland where, thanks to a bit of luck, they have gathered the most extensive dataset ever from a volcanic eruption, which will likely yield considerable new insights into how molten rock moves underground, and whether or not it erupts.

Read More
Casts of fossils such as this beautiful Fractofusus specimen from Newfoundland are on display

A snapshot of life 560 million years ago

10 March 2014

A new display at the Sedgwick Museum focuses on the latest research into a group of fossils that might be the earliest examples of animals ever found. Palaeontologist Dr Alex Liu hopes that the exhibition will raise awareness of the unique organisms that lived in the Ediacaran period.  

Read More

Pages