Imagine a world where the sparkle of diamonds isn’t confined to jewelry stores or the necks of the elite, but bursts forth from the ground like a geyser’s spray. That’s right, fountains of diamonds are not just the stuff of fairy tales—they’re a dazzling reality in certain corners of our planet!
Scientists have uncovered that deep beneath the Earth’s surface, conditions are just right for these glittering eruptions. It’s a phenomenon that’s not only stunning but also sheds light on the mysterious inner workings of our world.
Formation of Diamonds
Under the Earth’s crust, a spectacular process unfolds that is as fascinating as it is rare. These fountains of diamonds form from carbon, subjected to extreme pressure and temperature conditions over billions of years. With heat soaring above 1,000 degrees Celsius and pressure exceeding 725,000 pounds per square inch, carbon atoms are forced into a crystalline structure, giving birth to diamonds.
Volcanic eruptions become the vessels for these precious gems as they usher them upwards. It’s here, within the depths of kimberlite pipes, that diamonds hitch a ride on magma, traveling at breakneck speeds until they reach the cooler upper crust, where they solidify.
| Condition | Measure |
|---|---|
| Temperature | > 1,000 degrees Celsius |
| Pressure | > 725,000 psi (pounds per square inch) |
| Formation Time | 1-3.3 billion years |
Remarkably, only a select number of locations worldwide are home to these conditions. Scientists keep a keen eye on regions like Siberia, Australia, and South Africa, where the perfect storm of geological factors exists to produce these natural wonders.
While most arise from depths of 150-200 kilometers, some come from as deep as 700 kilometers below the surface. This depth is so profound that it borders the Earth’s mantle, offering a rare peek into the composition and behavior of our planet’s interior.
- Formation depths:
- Common: 150-200 kilometers
- Rare: Up to 700 kilometers
Astonishingly, as the magma carrying these gems ascends, it acts almost like a freight elevator, scooping up other minerals and rocks along the way. These additional passengers provide geologists with vital clues about the Earth’s composition and the extraordinary conditions under which different types of diamonds form. Each of these mineral-laden journeys tells a story—a geological narrative of pressure, time, and transformation.
Geological Processes
Diamonds form deep within the Earth’s mantle, where carbon atoms are pushed into an elegant arrangement due to extreme pressure and heat. The environment there is death metal brutal, with temperatures soaring to 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit and pressures up to 725,000 pounds per square inch. Such conditions are found between 85 to 120 miles below the surface, which are also zones loaded with the potential to cause volcanic activity.
It’s these volcanic eruptions that give birth to diamond-bearing rocks like kimberlite and lamproite. In a process as dramatic as a fireworks display, magma from deep within the mantle blasts its way through the Earth’s crust, creating kimberlite pipes. As it tears through the crust, the magma acts like a cosmic vacuum cleaner, sucking up everything in its path, including diamonds.
Some of these diamonds end up near the surface, where lucky miners can access them. Yet, not all diamonds are created equal. The journey upwards doesn’t just influence their accessibility but also their characteristics. The longer diamonds remain under those almost hellish conditions, the larger and purer they grow. In the Kimberley region of South Africa, as well as in Siberia, Russia, diamonds have made this magnificent voyage to the surface, providing opportunities for extraction.
Interestingly, the journey of diamonds offers a glimpse into inaccessible parts of the Earth. Analyzing the impurities trapped within diamonds – known as inclusions – allows scientists to peek into Earth’s dynamic interior. These inclusions are the fingerprints of a diamond’s voyage, holding secrets of the deep Earth.
But the life story of a diamond is far from simple. Its rise from the depths is just one part of a complex cycle that involves subduction, recycling, and more eruptions. As old earth crust gets pulled under and melts into the mantle, more carbon is introduced to the extreme environment perfect for diamond making. This ensures that the Earth will never run out of the raw materials needed to create these sparkling treasures.
