Scientists were surprised by an unusual incident in a laboratory.\nRocks collected from the floor of the Pacific Ocean suddenly heated up,\nbegan smoking and then spontaneously caught fire when broken open in the\nopen air, CNBC Indonesia reported on Wednesday (14 October 2026).<\/p>\n
The rocks were taken from waters off the border between the US states\nof Oregon and California, specifically the Escanaba Trough, an active\nvolcanic ridge on the seabed. Samples were collected in 2022 using a\nremotely operated underwater vehicle.<\/p>\n
After being brought to the surface and dried, two of the rocks\ndisplayed unusual properties. When they were broken open to examine\ntheir interiors, the newly exposed surfaces began to heat up and emit\nsmoke, before burning completely and turning to ash.<\/p>\n
The cause was a mineral contained in the rocks: a particular form of\niron sulphide called marcasite, with grains measuring just 5 to 16\nnanometres\u2014thousands of times thinner than a human hair.<\/p>\n
Because the mineral has an extremely large surface area, it reacts\nvery quickly with oxygen in the air. The reaction produces heat. If the\nheat is generated faster than it can be absorbed by the surroundings,\nthe temperature continues to rise on its own until the rock catches\nfire.<\/p>\n
On the seabed, temperatures are around 2\u00b0C and oxygen levels are very\nlow, so the reaction proceeds extremely slowly and the mineral remains\nstable. Once brought to the surface, however, the warmer, oxygen-rich\nair accelerates the chemical reaction until it becomes\nuncontrollable.<\/p>\n
The discovery is more than a curiosity. Such seabed areas are rich in\ncopper, zinc and other valuable metals. Mining is currently being\nplanned on similar undersea ridges in the Atlantic and Indian\nOceans.<\/p>\n
The researchers warned that no safety regulations currently address\nrocks that can ignite spontaneously. The same phenomenon could occur\naboard a mining vessel and put workers at risk.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/why-rocks-taken-from-the-seabed-suddenly-burst-into-flames-1791993016", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }