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Diamond with Sulfur Inclusion
Caption:
A sulfide inclusion-bearing rough diamond from the Jwaneng Mine in Botswana.
This optical photomicrograph of a rough diamond shows the natural diamond growth surface. Below the surface, at the center, is a brass-colored hexagonal shaped grain of iron sulfide surrounded by an irregular black rim. This rim is caused by internal fracture of the diamond on its ascent to the earth's surface via explosive volcanism. Sulfide grains such as these are removed for sulfur isotopic analysis.
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More about this Image
National Science Foundation-supported geologists James Farquhar and Boswell Wing from the University of Maryland, have found that tiny inclusions encased in diamonds preserve information about the cycling of material between Earth's atmosphere, crust, and mantle some three billion years ago.
The researchers studied ratios of isotopes - atoms that are of the same type, but have a slightly different size - and tracked distinctive "isotopic signatures" that are unique to rocks that were created in the same place. By tagging a rock throughout its life cycle, researchers can use isotopic signatures to draw conclusions about previously unknown parts of Earth's early history, such as how the atmosphere evolved and the origin of early life forms.
Farquhar and Wing, along with colleagues from other institutions, have shown that sulfide inclusions in diamonds from Botswana contain a characteristic ratio of the three isotopes of sulfur. The finding indicates that these sulfur atoms completed an entire geochemical cycle on Earth--from the air to the rocks to everywhere in between. This first documentation of the complete recycling of ancient sulfur adds to the knowledge of the dynamic processes that shaped our planet's evolution.
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This excerpt was taken from the story “Sulfur Signature in Diamonds Reveals New Facts about Early Earth,” which appeared in the April 16, 2003 NSF News Tip. Please refer there for the complete story.
(Preview Only)
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| Credit: |
Credit Jeff Harris, University of Glasgow, U.K. |
| Year of Image: |
2003 |
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Categories:
EARTH SCIENCE / General
Formats Available:
TIF Format - 3.08M - 842 x 1280 pixel image - 72 DPI
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Restrictions:
Important: This image is copyright. Permission is granted to use this image for personal, educational, or nonprofit/non-commercial purposes only. Any other use of this image is prohibited, as stated by the owner.
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