Mercury's Crust: A Treasure Trove of Diamonds?
Photo: NASA
New research suggests our closest planet to the sun, Mercury, might hold a surprising secret: a vast diamond reserve beneath its harsh surface. Billions of years of relentless bombardment by meteorites and comets could have transformed a significant portion of Mercury's graphite crust into these precious gemstones.
Planetary Scientist Unveils Theory at Conference
Presented at the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, planetary scientist Kevin Cannon proposes that billions of years of meteorite impacts could have transformed a significant portion of Mercury's surface, once rich in graphite, into diamonds. His computer simulations predict that these impacts may have transformed about one-third of the little planet's crust into a diamond treasure chest, potentially exceeding Earth's diamond reserves by a significant margin.
Understanding Diamond Formation
Diamonds are typically formed under immense pressure and extreme temperatures. On Earth, they crystallise deep underground (at least 150 kilometres down) before reaching the surface via volcanic eruptions. However, studies of meteorites suggest that diamond formation can also occur during high-impact events.
“When these impacts happen, they create extremely high pressures and temperatures that can convert carbon into diamond”
Mercury's Unique Composition: A Potential Diamond Factory
With the idea of impact-created diamonds in mind, Cannon focused his research on Mercury. Surface surveys and experiments with molten rock suggest the planet's crust may contain remnants of an ancient graphite shell, a mineral composed primarily of carbon.
“Our theory is that when Mercury first formed, it had a magma ocean, and graphite crystallised out of that magma”
Mercury's Heavily Cratered Surface: Evidence of a Diamond-Forming Past
Mercury's surface is heavily cratered, a testament to its violent past filled with impacts. Cannon hypothesised that much of the planet's potential graphite crust would have been transformed into diamonds under the intense pressure and heat of these impacts.
Computer Simulations Reveal Potential Diamond Abundance
To explore the extent of this diamond-forging process, Cannon used computer simulations to model 4.5 billion years of impacts on a hypothetical graphite crust. The results suggest that if Mercury had possessed a 300-metre-thick graphite layer, the impacts could have generated a staggering 16 quadrillion tonnes of diamonds—roughly 16 times the estimated diamond reserves on Earth.
Scientific Opinions on the Theory
"There's no reason to believe that diamonds couldn't be produced in this way," says Simone Marchi, a planetary scientist at the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado, who was not involved in the research. However, he cautions that the question of how many diamonds might have survived these aeons is a separate matter. Many of the gemstones could have been destroyed by subsequent impacts.
Cannon acknowledges this possibility but believes the losses would likely be minimal as diamonds possess an extremely high melting point exceeding 4,000° Celsius. Future simulations will incorporate the potential for impact-induced remelting to refine estimates of Mercury's current diamond reserves.
Future Exploration: Unveiling Mercury's Secrets
The BepiColombo mission, scheduled to reach Mercury in 2025, may present an opportunity to search for these hidden diamonds. Cannon suggests that diamonds reflect a distinct signature in the infrared light spectrum, potentially detectable by the mission's instruments.
Jupiter's Dazzling Majesty Revealed by Juno
In related news, NASA's Juno spacecraft continues to unveil the breathtaking beauty and complexities of Jupiter, the king of planets. Juno's JunoCam visible-light camera captures stunning images of the gas giant's swirling cloud systems and mesmerising atmospheric dynamics, offering scientists valuable insights into Jupiter's composition, behaviour, and formation history.
Stay tuned to Global Trekker for more updates on this exciting mission and other cutting-edge developments in space exploration in our Science & Technology topics.
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