Wiki World: zircon

Research in Western Australia shows super volcanoes erupted zircon gemstones.

The surface of Earth was once covered in diamonds, well a very close imposter anyway. Australian scientists have just found out that a super volcano spewed out zircon crystals all over Australia. It is a gem stone in many more colors than diamond.

Samples from drilling in Western Australia showed particular crystals should have not been there. They were different from naturally occurring ones eroded from rocks. The "strangers" were 2,300km from their volcanic source.

The great distance from erupting volcanoes indicates that the volcanic explosions 106 million years ago were much larger than previously thought. Australia must have been a very violent place in the past. Many animals would have died out because of the eruptions.

◆ Science by Ty Buchanan ◆

Tys Country
Amusing Animal Photos
Odd Weird Things
Articles News Reviews

●

Vista Computer Solutions

ALL ARTICLES· ──► (HOME PAGE)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ZIRCON GEMS COVERED AUSTRLIA

super, volcanoes, eruptions, zircon, gems, gemstones, western, australia, science, research articles news politics economics society anthropology historiography history sociology people nations country asia europe africa u.s. south america central Mediterranean eastern western interesting unique technology free news sex

Everyone knows that Australia is old. Just how old has been defined by science - A zircon crystal on a Western Australian sheep station is the oldest piece of planet Earth. It is 4.4 billion years old.

Tests were done to determine the crystal's age. The rate of decay of uranium against the constant lead showed how old it was. This was confirmed by atom-probe tomography where the mass of lead atoms is measured.

The zircon particle was created on the Earth's crust soon after the planet formed. And the Earth was not a violent place until much later. Water was already present and there is a high probability that life began at this time. The Hadean eon as this period is called in now a misnomer because it means Hadean the god of hell.

Proof of life is unlikely. Science is not advanced enough yet to fully examine this period. Very little can be identified as originating in this period of the Earth's development.

Science by Ty Buchanan