2023-11-02 07:00:19
Geochemists from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the California Institute of Technology have discovered high levels of helium-3 in rocks on Baffin Island. This discovery could indicate a leak in the Earth’s core.
Diagram illustrating the transfer from the core to the plume.
Credit: Nature (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06590-8
Previous research had already detected traces of helium-3 in the lava flows of the island. island is an expanse of land surrounded by water, whether this water is that of a river, a…), suggesting a possible escape from the earth’s core. This ancient isotope was formed when the Earth was the third planet in the Solar System in order of distance. .) itself was formed and imprisoned in the core. Its rarity on the surface is due to its propensity to escape into the atmosphere.
Intrigued, the team traveled to Baffin Island and tested several lava flows. Helium-3 levels were much higher than previously observed, the highest ever recorded on Earth. Additionally, the ratios of helium-3 to helium-4 were also exceptionally high, reinforcing the theory of a core leak.
This discovery is major for the scientific community. If these high levels of helium-3 do indeed come from the nucleus, they could provide a unique way to study the latter. The researchers also note that other surrounding materials could also emanate from the core, providing more physical examples of materials originating from the core. center of the Earth.
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