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The Tales That Rocks Can Tell

Research associate Kathryn Rose conducts studies using the ion microprobe at WHOI, which measures precisely very small amounts of isotopes in rocks and other samples, revealing hidden clues about how our planet works. Inside all rocks are elements, or isotopes of elements, called “natural tracers.” The presence, proportion, and distribution of natural tracers within rocks can reveal the conditions under which the rocks formed.(Photo by Tom Kleindinst, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)