Melting the secrets of rocks

Martha Papadopoulou - PhD Student

Collecting rocks is a common passion among geologists, and also an integral part of their job. But have you ever wondered what happens to these rocks collected on different expeditions, and how geologists know so much about them?

Rock samples undergo a variety of analyses and processes in order to give insights about their origin, composition and age. Melting part of a rock to produce a glass sample for analysis can provide invaluable information about its origin, the conditions during its formation and the geological cycle, that bring us a step closer towards understanding the wonderfully complex and active planet Earth, we all live on.