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Within a diamond hauled from deep beneath Earth’s surface, scientists have discovered the first example of a never-before-seen mineral.
Named davemaoite after prominent geophysicist Ho-kwang (Dave) Mao, the mineral is the first example of a high-pressure calcium silicate perovskite (CaSiO3) found on Earth. Another form of CaSiO3, known as wollastonite, is commonly found across the globe, but davemaoite has a crystalline structure that forms only under high pressure and high temperatures in Earth’s mantle, the mainly solid layer of Earth trapped between the outer core and the crust.
Davemaoite has long been expected to be an abundant and geochemically important mineral in Earth’s mantle. But scientists have never found any direct evidence of its existence because it breaks down into other minerals when it moves toward the surface and pressure decreases. However, analysis of a diamond from Botswana, which formed in the mantle around 410 miles (660 kilometers) below Earth’s surface, has revealed a sample of intact davemaoite trapped inside. As a result, the International Mineralogical Association has now confirmed davemaoite as a new mineral.
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Researchers discovered the mineral davemaoite inside a diamond that was formed in Earth’s mantle. (Image credit: Shutterstock)
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