Researchers collected samples from the Berufjörður-Breiðdalur region in eastern Iceland, where glacial erosion has carved deep valleys and fjords into basalt rock to reveal buried zeolites. Credit: Claire Nelson/Northwestern University New finding could help inform how zeolites are used in carbon capture and storage. First study to analyze the calcium isotope composition of zeolite minerals Bonding conditions between calcium and oxygen partition calcium isotopes Findings point toward developing a novel ‘geothermometer’ for investigating Earth systems Zeolites could be considered as nature’s workhorse. Filled with microscopic holes and channels, these ultraporous minerals can soak up environmental contaminants, filter drinking water, manage nuclear waste, and even absorb carbon dioxide (CO2). Now, in the first study of its kind, Northwestern University researchers have analyzed ancient zeolite specimens collected from the edges of East Iceland to discover that zeolites separate ca...