2023-10-28 17:52:09
IStock/LeHuffpost
IStock/LeHuffpost
Helium appearing to come from the center of the earth has been observed by researchers. (Illustrative image)
EARTH – Yes, the Earth also sometimes lets gases escape. This is not a new phenomenon. But here, traces of helium and neon (another so-called noble gas) seem to come from deep within the earth. This is what a group of geochemists from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution et du California Institute of Technology in a study published on October 18 in the journal Nature.
The latter relied on the data from a previous study taking place on Baffin Island, the largest in Canada. They analyzed olivines, a type of ore from the silicate family, which allowed them to discover that they trapped a gas, helium, at levels 50 times higher than normal.
Gases from the Earth’s youth
Geochemists then sought to determine the reason and origin of this abundance of gas. Because helium is not the kind of element that we often come across on Earth. Particularly light, there is little that prevents it from escaping the atmosphere to drift in space. Which makes it a rare material on the surface of the planet.
One thing is certain, they exist under our feet, in the heart of our planet. During its formation (billions of years ago), the Earth “swallowed” helium. And following around 4.6 billion years of activity, most of this helium was evacuated, in particular thanks to volcanic activity.
But not at all. Currently, the exact amount of gas that remains trapped is one of the great unknowns in geology. This is therefore an interesting discovery, although it is still necessary to ensure that it is indeed gas coming from the bowels of the planet. To confirm this, the researchers verified that it was not contamination by the atmosphere.
This is not the case since the isotope (the atomic mass, editor’s note) differs. The helium found in the lavas and olivine of Baffin Island in Canada contain helium 3 (3HE), lighter than the helium 4 (4HE) that is generally observed. The researchers also carried out measurements on another noble gas found in the same place, neon. Bingo, the data is similar. This other gas also seems to come from deep within the Earth.
At the origins of our planet
Tracing the life course of these gases is complicated, but possible. To do this, researchers carry out simulations taking into account the pressure and composition of the interior of our planet. They thus establish an overview of what the path of these gases might be. Concretely, the latter were first trapped in the earth’s core and as our planet grew, they tried to escape and return to the surface.
These gases can then provide valuable information regarding the Earth’s core. The latter is hidden behind thousands of kilometers of dense, hot rocks, and is completely inaccessible to scientists. The only way to study it is to look at the clues that reach us on the surface, like these gas leaks. Dating from the origins of the Earth, they can provide valuable information on the origins of our beautiful blue planet.
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