“There’s a growing awareness of the dramatic changes in Earth’s mineralogy over the past 4.5 billion years. Remarkably, that epic “mineral evolution” story is as much about life as it is about rock. We now realize that minerals and life co-evolved,” says Hazen.
This revolution of mineral exhibits was launched with the opening of a permanent new mineral display at the Natural History Museum of Vienna on 4 April 2017. The opening was feted with a news conference and public lecture where Hazen shared his view of mineral evolution to a packed house.
In 2008, just as the Deep Carbon Observatory was taking shape, Hazen first published his observation that Earth’s mineral diversity is far greater than our nearest planetary neighbors. His theory of “mineral evolution” detailed the way minerals change due to environmental influences, recording planetary milestones such as the Great Oxidation Event and the emergence of life on land.
This work also highlights the interplay between Earth’s geosphere and biosphere over deep time, with life playing a major role in diversifying the types of minerals on our planet. Without life, more than 60% of minerals on Earth would not exist. Most recently, Hazen’s work has highlighted humanity’s indelible mark on Earth; a suite of human-created, or Anthropocene, minerals.
Hazen remarks, “The new Viennese exhibit traces Earth’s changeable appearance through a series of dramatic stages, from a landscape that was primarily black (owing to volcanic basalt), to rusty red, to white (a time of global glaciation), and ultimately to today’s green Earth. Dozens of beautiful mineral specimens, accompanied by explanatory text and dynamic visuals, illustrate each stage.”
The exhibit illustrates the concept of mineral evolution by telling the story of 56 of Earth’s minerals. It includes objects and mineral samples that exemplify Earth’s evolution over the last four billion years.
“I’m optimistic that the Natural History Museum of Vienna will be first of many museums that reorganize a significant part of their mineral collections along the theme of mineral evolution,” added DCO Director Craig Schiffries (Carnegie Institution of Washington, USA).
Images courtesy of Christian Koeberl, Director General, Natural History Museum Vienna