Diamonds are known to be exquisite byproducts of the continuous evolution of the Earth. Researchers now state that diamonds are created through three billion years of constant recycling seabed crusts that are cooked deep underground. Michael Förster from the Technische Universität Berlin says that their study shows that diamonds were actually formed through marine sediments, as opposed to previous beliefs.
Diamonds are created through recycling seabed crusts
Excepting the diamonds that came from space, a staggering percentage of the diamonds are buried deep down Earth’s mantle, which is highly difficult to reach considering that the Earth’s crust which makes up only 1% of the mass of our planet is roughly 35 km deep. A drilling mission that approximately lasted a decade was shut down after six months in which the hole that was meant to dig deep down into Earth’s surface collapsed several times. This makes the efforts of studying diamonds origins even harder.
However, a team of specialists from around the world managed to create the balance of salty fluids that are found inside these precious stones. At this point, most diamonds we see in jewelry is crystal clear, but more blurry diamonds also exist. These are called fibrous diamonds, and they quickly form through traces of several minerals being trapped, and scientists say that their impurity could give valuable insight into their past.
Scientists shed more light on the formation of diamond
The team managed to artificially create certain conditions to find out how certain circumstances from the Earth mantle can affect the structure of salty diamonds. They find out the perfect balance in this regard of sodium and potassium, at temperatures between 800 – 1,100°C, pressures of 4-6 gigapascals, somewhere between 120-180 kilometers below the surface.
As the researches state, they found out the exact way in which diamonds are formed, through the recycling of sediments from the ocean in the subduction zone. This means that the diamonds we now see in stores witnessed more of our planet history than the human species. The exquisite gems are actually hundreds of millions of years of history of the oceans comprised into one little shining stone.
Doris’s passion for writing started to take shape in college where she was editor-in-chief of the college newspaper. Even though she ended up working in IT for more than 7 years, she’s now back to what he always enjoyed doing. With a true passion for technology, Doris mostly covers tech-related topics.