When supercontinents breakup, it initiated explosive volcanic eruptions propelling diamonds upward. Diamonds originate about 93 miles below the Earth's surface and are rapidly brought up during kimberlite eruptions, which can reach speeds of 11 to 83 mph.
Professor Thomas Gernon of the University of Southampton explained that these eruptions might resemble the explosive events of Mount Vesuvius, involving gases and dust.
Diamond-Triggering Eruptions: Supercontinent Breakups Unleash Explosive Kimberlite Outbursts with Earth's Deep Gems
Diamonds Erupting to the Surface
For a while now, researchers have been aware that a unique magma variety known as kimberlite can swiftly traverse the Earth's inner layers, transporting diamonds.
Kimberlite magma, abundant in carbon dioxide and water gases, surges upwards akin to soda bursting from an overly shaken bottle. In this process, it can gather diamonds, forming zones of diamond abundance suitable for extraction.
Scientists have been aware of a unique magma type called kimberlite, capable of rapidly traversing the Earth's core while carrying diamonds. Enriched with gases like carbon dioxide and water, this magma gets propelled upwards from deep within the Earth, akin to the forceful release of soda from an excessively shaken bottle.
During its ascent, this magma can collect diamonds, forming regions rich in these precious gems, which become prime locations for mining.
One might anticipate kimberlite eruptions along the edges of continents where tectonic plates separate due to continental rifts. Surprisingly, these eruptions tend to occur within an optimal region within the continent where diamonds originate, says Tom Gernon, a geologist from the University of Southampton.
How Supercontinental Divide Triggered Diamond Eruptions
The team believes they have unraveled the mystery of kimberlite eruptions, attributing it to a domino effect that propels kimberlite towards the interior of continents, as explained by Professor Stephen Jones of the University of Birmingham.
They used computer models of the Earth's deep crust and upper mantle to explain the patterns of these phenomena. They discovered that during the separation of tectonic plates, the lower continental crust undergoes thinning and the upper crust stretch and form valleys.
The thinning leads to the ascent of hot rock, which upon interacting with the disturbed boundary, cools and descends, giving rise to localized circulatory patterns.
These regions of instability can induce disturbances in neighboring areas, gradually shifting thousands of miles towards the center of the continent. The observation aligns with the observed occurrence of kimberlite eruptions, initiating near rift zones and subsequently progressing towards the interior of continents.
The mechanism behind the explosive eruptions lies in the interaction of specific materials due to these instabilities. The instabilities facilitate the juxtaposition and flow of rock from the lower crust and upper mantle.
The findings described in the study, titled "Rift-Induced Disruption of Cratonic Keels Drives Kimberlite Volcanism" published in Nature, can aid in diamond exploration and explain post-supercontinent breakup eruptions in seemingly stable regions.
Professor Gernon noted the broader implications of this well-structured physical process in various Earth system interactions beyond kimberlite phenomena.
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