*Scientists discover that lawsonite plays an outsize role in shaping the chemical reactions that occur deep beneath the Earth's surface.*

Deep beneath Earth's surface, where temperatures and pressures are extreme, rocks undergo a continuous process of recycling. Tectonic plates collide, forcing some rocks into the Earth's hot interior. There, these rocks melt, forming magma that can eventually rise to the surface to form new rock.

This process, known as the rock cycle, is essential for the long-term health of our planet. It recycles carbon and other important elements back into the atmosphere and oceans, and it helps to regulate the Earth's climate.

But exactly how the rock cycle works is still not fully understood. In particular, scientists are still trying to figure out what controls the chemical reactions that occur deep beneath the Earth's surface.

A new study by scientists at the University of Maryland has identified a surprisingly soft mineral that may play an outsize role in controlling these reactions.

The mineral is called lawsonite. It is found in rocks that are formed when tectonic plates collide and are forced deep into the Earth's crust. Lawsonite is not very hard—it can be scratched with a fingernail—but it is very reactive.

The scientists found that lawsonite catalyzes a number of important chemical reactions that occur in the Earth's crust. These reactions help to break down rocks and release fluids that contain carbon and other important elements. These fluids then rise to the surface, where they can be released into the atmosphere and oceans.

The discovery that lawsonite plays a key role in the rock cycle is important for understanding how the Earth regulates its climate. It also suggests that the rock cycle may be more sensitive to changes in temperature and pressure than previously thought.

The study was published in the journal *Nature Geoscience*.