Rock: Electrons run through it

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Rocky growth: Iron building up into pyramids on one face of a hematite crystal sends electrons to another face which slowly dissolves. Credit: PNNL
Rocky growth: Iron building up into pyramids on one face of a hematite crystal sends electrons to another face, which slowly dissolves. Credit: PNNL

If the Flintstones had electricity, their wires might have been made of rock. New results in Science Express show that a chunk of hematite can conduct electrons under certain chemical conditions. In addition, the current causes some mineral surfaces to build up while others degrade. These results with iron oxide might be important for water quality, soil evolution, and environmental cleanup.


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