Diamond expert Graham Pearson of the University of Alberta discovered a rare ocean-uncovering stone. The seemingly worthless, 3-millimeter piece of brown diamond was found in Mato Grosso, Brazil.
Within the stone, Pearson and his team found ringwoodite--created when olivine is highly pressurized. It's been previously seen within meteorites and can be created in a laboratory. It has never been found in a sample of the Earth's mantle--until now.
The stone was found to contain trapped water that made up roughly 1.5 percent of the ringwoodite's weight. Using analyses of its depth and water makeup, Pearson suggests there is water deep beyond the Earth's surface; an immense amount of it.
The finding “confirms predictions from high-pressure laboratory experiments that a water reservoir comparable in size to all the oceans combined is hidden deep in Earth’s mantle,” and truly brings into question what lies beneath our planet as we know it.
Why This Trend Is Growing
- Rare-gemstone-discoveries
- The discovery of rare gemstones like ringwoodite can uncover new insights and technologies for various industries.
- Deep-water-exploration
- Pearson's findings suggest the existence of immense water reservoirs beneath the Earth's mantle, which may present disruptive opportunities in deep-water exploration.
- Sustainable-mining-practices
- The discovery of valuable minerals in seemingly worthless stones like brown diamond may encourage the development of sustainable mining practices.
Industries Being Reshaped
- Jewelry-making
- Rare gemstone discoveries like ringwoodite may lead to innovative designs and new technologies in jewelry-making.
- Oil-and-gas-exploration
- The finding of immense water reservoirs beneath the Earth's mantle presents a disruptive opportunity for the oil and gas industry in deep-water exploration.
- Mining-and-extractive-industries
- Sustainable mining practices may become increasingly important for the mining and extractive industries as valuable minerals are found in seemingly worthless stones like brown diamond.
