Industrial Waste Rapidly Turning to Rock in a Remarkable Phenomenon
Scientists have made a surprising discovery about the formation of rock. It appears that industrial waste, known as slag, generated by the steel industry, can turn into solid rock within about 35 years under certain conditions. This finding challenges traditional geological understanding, which suggests that rock formation typically takes millions of years through natural processes; here, it may occur within a few decades with the right conditions. The research, documenting a "rapid anthropoclastic rock cycle," was published in the journal Geology.
This cycle mimics natural rock formation but occurs at an accelerated pace. The researchers suggest similar phenomena might be happening at other industrial sites worldwide, potentially impacting ecosystems and land or coastal management.
The study analyzed 2 kilometers of slag waste from the former iron and steel foundries at Derwent Howe, West Cumbria, England, active in the 19th and 20th centuries. Approximately 27 million cubic meters of furnace slag accumulated here, forming cliffs now eroded by tides and waves.
As erosion exposes the slag to air and seawater, chemical reactions occur. Various tools assessed samples from the cliffs, revealing deposits of reactive chemicals like calcium, iron, and magnesium, which accelerate rock formation. Reactions between slag, air, and seawater produce minerals such as brucite, calcite, and goethite, acting as natural cement and similar to processes in sedimentary rock formation.
"For a couple of hundred years, we've understood the rock cycle as a natural process taking thousands to millions of years," said first author Dr. Amanda Owen of the University of Glasgow. "What’s remarkable is that human-made materials are being incorporated into natural systems and lithified — turning into rock within decades. This challenges our understanding of rock formation and indicates that waste produced by modern industry will have irreversible environmental impacts."
Modern materials like a coin from 1935 and a drink tab trapped in the rocks demonstrate how quickly lithification occurred, estimated at as little as 35 years for some samples.
Dr. Brown added, "Slag contains all necessary elements to transform into rock when exposed to seawater and air. It’s likely this phenomenon is occurring at similar slag deposits along exposed coastlines worldwide."
Note: The last paragraph about a scientist's biography and unrelated studies appears to be extraneous and has been omitted for clarity and focus on the main topic.
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