Missing Link to Life Found?
By Larry O'Hanlon, Discovery News
Oct. 8, 2004 — Mount St. Helens' recent eruption may be replaying a scene straight from the geochemical drama that led to life on Earth.
Besides ash and lava, most volcanoes also release a toxic gas called carbonyl sulfide (COS) that has now been shown to cause amino acids in Earth's primordial soup to form chains — a very big step in the walk toward the first life.