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Ancient lava flows in the Canadian Arctic may hold the key to understanding Earth’s inner workings, according to a new analysis. The study suggests that helium trapped in the Earth’s core is slowly making its way to the surface, challenging our current scientific understanding of the planet’s geological processes.
This discovery provides compelling evidence for the theory that the Earth’s core is home to primordial “reservoirs” of helium and other elements formed during the solar system’s early years. Lead author of the study, Forrest Horton, a geochemist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, notes that this finding indicates the preservation of gases from Earth’s formation deep within the planet.
By examining the isotopes of helium found in ancient lava samples, researchers were able to trace their origins back to their primordial sources. The study, published in Nature, analyzed 62-million-year-old lava flows in the remote Baffin Island, revealing unusually high levels of helium 3 compared to helium 4. This discovery challenges previously held theories and opens up new avenues for understanding the Earth’s geological history.
During a two-week expedition to Baffin Island in 2018, researchers collected samples of lava which were then analyzed in laboratories at Woods Hole and the California Institute of Technology. The results revealed extraordinarily high ratios of helium 3 to helium 4, further supporting the notion that ancient helium reservoirs in Earth’s mantle may be contributing to this phenomenon. Similar findings have been observed in volcanic rocks from other regions, including Hawaii and the Galápagos Islands, indicating that this process may be occurring globally.