Metals galore in deep Earth,
But at the sea surface, a dearth.
Iron is key
For greening the sea …
To planktic cells, gold has less worth.
Whence this precious resource?
Isotopes hint at the source.
Dust takes the lead,
While vents slowly bleed,
Could inputs affect climate’s course?
This is one in a series of poems written by Katherine Allen, a researcher in geochemistry and paleoclimate at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory.