News in Brief Earth

Remnants of Earth’s crust survive in the planet’s interior

Slab unperturbed in the mantle for billions of years before resurfacing

By Erin Wayman

- More than 2 years ago

Earth’s crust is the ultimate survivor. Bits of crust that sink into the planet’s interior can last for billions of years, geologists report in the April 25 Nature.

ROCKY REMAINS Volcanic rocks in the Cook Islands have revealed that Earth’s crust can survive in the mantle for billions of years, as evidenced by sulfur isotopes trapped within crystals of the mineral olivine (blue, in this light-filtered image).