Yanhao Lin and Ho-kwang Mao find deep magma stores oxygen
Scientists just found out that magma way beneath Earth's surface can actually store extra oxygen, a twist on what we thought we knew about how magma works.
This discovery, led by Yanhao Lin and Ho-kwang Mao, could help explain how volcanoes have played a part in changing Earth's atmosphere over time.
Experiments show oxygen increases with pressure
By recreating the intense pressures found deep underground, researchers saw that magma can hold more oxygen the deeper it is, up to 7 gigapascals of pressure.
When that magma rises and pressure drops, some of that oxygen could be released and may contribute to oxidation in the crust and atmosphere.
This process might have helped turn Earth's crust and atmosphere into what they are today, and could even give us clues about how other rocky planets evolve.