A diamond at the origin of the Earth?
It was well known that diamonds are priceless gems. However, the fact that they could tell the story of the origin of life itself on Earth was unknown to most. Could it be that a diamond is at the origin of the Earth?
The study
Thanks to the study of a young researcher entirely made in Italy, the discovery of the wonderful "magical powers" of diamonds becomes even more interesting.
Geoscience researcher Marta Giovanna Pamato of the University of Padua has in fact studied diamonds to reveal an interesting mystery of geosciences: that of the origin of water on Earth. It would be a mystery of Earth sciences that to date remains unsolved, but that could really be based on the study of diamonds, the precious stones that we love so much.
The research
Some past studies had already identified water molecules in some diamonds of the past, which had become ice crystals following the various climatic changes to which they had been subjected over the millennia.
The young researcher from the University of Padua, funded by the ERC, the European Research Council, investigated this primordial question by studying the hydrogen atoms present in some natural diamonds of a few billion years. The relationship between hydrogen and that of one of its isotopes with the other elements of the Solar System could explain the origin of H2O that allowed life on our planet.
A diamond at the origin of the Earth?
Dr. Pamato's project aims to study the composition of some of the oldest diamonds ever, to understand the geological evolution of the Earth and to allow, who knows, life on some other planet.
What is certain is that diamonds are and remain the precious stone par excellence, beautiful and of immense value. If they are also the symbol of our origin, then we will be even happier to wear them!
