The Origin of Diamonds Invaded by South Africans

Jakarta, CNN Indonesia —

A number of residents south Africa continues to search for stones like crystals in a field in the village of KwalHlathi in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa, Monday (15/6). This phenomenon is enough to grab the attention of the world’s public, because it is rumored that the location is full of diamond.

Some people believe that diamonds are formed from the metamorphosis of coal. Speculation continues to be a question mark as to how diamonds formed, in some science forums.

Geologists explain that diamonds in all diamond mines are formed in the Earth’s mantle (at a depth of 40 to 3,000 kilometers below the earth’s surface) and are sent to the surface by volcanic eruptions. Earth’s mantle is composed of iron, magnesium, and silica.

This eruption produced kimberlite and lamproite pipes which are much sought after by diamond seekers.

Diamonds formed more than 3 billion years ago deep in the Earth’s crust, under conditions of heat stress that caused carbon atoms to crystallize to form diamonds.

Diamonds are found at a depth of approx. 150-200 km below the earth’s surface.

At that depth it has an average temperature of 900 to 1,300 degrees Celsius and has a pressure of 45 to 60 kilobars or about 50,000 times the atmospheric pressure at the earth’s surface.

Under these conditions, molten lamproite and kimberlite, commonly known as magma, formed in the Earth’s upper mantle and expanded rapidly.

This expansion causes magma to erupt, forcing it to the Earth’s surface and bringing with it rocks containing white minerals. Earth’s deep rock is constantly moving, and magma pushes it to the surface.

As it cools, the magma hardens to form Kimberlite and settles in vertical structures known as kimberlite pipes.

It is the kimberlite pipe that is the most significant source of diamonds, but it is estimated that only 1 in every 200 kimberlite pipes contains gem-quality diamonds.

Quoted Capetown Diamond Museum, the name ‘Kimberlite’ comes from the town of Kimberley in South Africa where the first diamonds were found in this type of stone.

In another study, diamond finds from Brazil were said to contain small mineral inclusions with mineralogy content of oceanic crust.

Other diamonds have inclusions indicating that subducted seawater was involved in their formation. A recent study investigated the origin of boron-containing blue diamonds that formed at a depth of 650 kilometers.

The super-deep diamonds also contain inclusions that suggest they come from subducted oceanic crust.

A South African holds a white mineral called diamond. (REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)- –

The role of asteroids in the formation of diamonds

Throughout its history, Earth has been repeatedly hit by large asteroids. When an asteroid hits Earth, it produces extreme temperatures and pressures Geology.

For example, when an asteroid 10 kilometers wide hits the earth, it can travel 15 to 20 kilometers per second.

When the collision occurs, the object at high speed will produce a burst of energy equivalent to many nuclear weapons and temperatures hotter than the sun’s surface.

The high temperature and pressure conditions resulting from the impact were more than sufficient to form diamonds. This theory of diamond formation has been supported by the discovery of small diamonds around some asteroids.

A sub-millimeter diamond was found at Meteor Crater in Arizona. Diamonds measuring 13 millimeters have also been found in the Popigai Crater in northern Siberia, Russia, which is a crater caused by an asteroid impact 35 million years ago in Siberia.

(can / mik)

[Gambas:Video CNN]

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