A recent discovery by a team of scientists was characterized by glittering outcomes in the form of diamonds that are hidden in the depths of our planet. Initial reports have implied that diamonds could be hidden below the surface of Earth in the number of quadrillion tonnes. The new study conducted by researchers implies that the ultra-deep cache could be dispersed in the cratonic roots that are the most static sections of rock that are vested beneath the center of the majority of continental tectonic plates. The cratons were found to be extending to the depth of 200 miles beneath the crust.
The study involved an international team of researchers from Harvard, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the Carnegie Institution of Washington and various other universities. The team utilized seismic devices for measurement of the speed of sound waves traversing through the crust of Earth. According to a news release by MIT, the speed of sound waves across the Earth’s crust varies according to various factors such as density, composition, and temperature of the rocks through which sound travels. The data pertaining to the relationship between the composition of rocks and seismic velocity in order to estimate the type of rocks that constitute the Earth’s crust and specific areas of the lithosphere or the upper mantle.
The team was able to identify drastic spikes in the speed of sound at the bottom of 200-mile cratons. They further conducted tests on various rocks and minerals in a laboratory in order to identify the reason behind the speeding up of sound waves. According to the explanation provided by the scientists, only a specific type of rock that contains around 1 to 2 percent of diamonds was able to depict similar velocities when measured by seismologists. Hence, the scientists reached to a conclusion that diamonds form a major part of the bottom half of the cratons and their estimates indicate the presence of almost a quadrillion tons of diamond embedded in the ancient rocks.
According to Ulrich Faul, a researcher at MIT, the diamonds found in the cratons are not similar to the exotic mineral you may want to put on your engagement ring but is relatively common on a geological scale. He further emphasized that the presence of diamonds can be assumed as the sole reason for confirming the reaction of sound waves in the Earth’s crust. However, there is no technology available to get started with diamond mining as the diamonds are embedded at an unreachable depth which is impossible even with the biggest drill available.
