Ancient diamond preserves evidence of water-bearing mineral deep in Earth's mantle
A team of Brazilian researchers discovered the first direct evidence that goethite—the mineral responsible for the brown color of soils—can withstand extreme pressures and temperatures all the way to the planet's interior inside a diamond just 3 millimeters (0.1 inch) long, within a microscopic impurity. Goethite forms in soil and on the ocean floor from iron-rich minerals in the presence of…
A Brazilian research team made a groundbreaking discovery within a tiny diamond: direct proof of goethite, a mineral containing water, surviving extreme pressures and temperatures at the Earth's mantle. Goethite's presence in the 3mm-long diamond provides evidence that water can travel deeper into the planet, challenging previous beliefs about the lower mantle's composition.
The study, published in Scientific Reports, analyzed a diamond sourced from deep within the Earth using advanced synchrotron light techniques. The team found iron hydroxide, an uncommon mineral in the deep mantle, confirming the water-bearing capability of goethite. The research, led by a Brazilian team and supervised by foreign scientists, marks the first such analysis of a super-deep diamond using Brazilian instruments.
The findings challenge existing theories about the formation of the lower mantle and the role of water in Earth's geological processes.
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