How Extreme Conditions May Trap Helium in Earth’s Core?

Scientists believe that there may be hidden helium at the center of the Earth. They believe that this helium does not originate from Earth. It is generally believed that the center of our planet is made entirely of iron. A group of scientists believe that primordial helium, created just after the Big Bang, may also be at the center of the Earth.

Helium does not normally bond with other elements. Researchers believe that under extremely high temperatures and pressures, primordial helium atoms can combine with iron to form a diamond structure. The idea that helium can bond with iron under extreme conditions has scientists interested in exploring the core of the Earth in new ways.

   

Earth appears to be a cool blue planet, but deep down it’s actually a metalhead. Its outer core is mostly molten iron (and some nickel), while its inner core is a solid iron core (with traces of nickel). But heavy metals aren’t the only thing on the playlist, as it turns out, there may be helium floating around.

The Earth’s core is not as dense as pure iron, and research suggests that its outer core may contain lighter elements such as carbon, oxygen and silicon. A study by the University of Tokyo in Japan and the National Central University in Taiwan has discovered a bond between helium and iron.

They believe that when the Earth was forming billions of years ago, some helium bonded to iron. Helium is an inert gas and does not form bonds with any metals. Scientists have created a bond between iron and helium in a high-pressure device called a diamond anvil cell. Iron and helium can actually bond under extremely high temperatures.

The helium we are most familiar with is also known as helium-4. On the other hand, primordial helium-3 is not produced on Earth. It consists of two protons and one neutron. It is thought to have been created in the intense heat of the early universe just after the Big Bang. Helium is one of the most abundant elements in the universe. Helium makes up most of the mass of the protoplanetary disk, like the one in which our solar system formed.

In a study published in Physical Review Letters, scientists say that during the development of the Earth, a large portion of primordial helium may have been trapped in the core of the Earth through metal-silicates in a deep magma ocean under high pressure. Scientists try to learn about the binding of primordial helium when working with volcanic rocks.

Magma with significant amounts of primordial helium has been released from various volcanoes for a long time. Scientists believe that helium-containing magma may exist underground because it comes from deep in the mantle. They think, ‘There may be a huge reservoir of primordial helium deep in our planet.’

Iron and primordial helium are placed in a special device to simulate the extreme heat and pressure of the Earth’s surface. The iron and helium are heated to temperatures of about 727 degrees Celsius to 2,727 degrees Celsius with a laser. The scientists expose them to pressures of 5 to 55 gigapascals. They believe that there may be a large reservoir of primordial helium at the center of the Earth because the bonds are formed due to pressure and heat.