(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists have used quantum mechanics to reveal that the most common mineral on Earth is relatively uncommon deep within the planet.
Using several of the largest supercomputers in the nation, a team of physicists led by Ohio State University has been able to simulate the behavior of silica in a high-temperature, high-pressure form that is particularly difficult to study firsthand in the lab.
The resulting discovery -- reported in this week's early online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) -- could eventually benefit science and industry alike.
