Predicting earthquakes and finding diamonds could be as simple as measuring helium gas levels in zircon mineral samples, according to Curtin researchers.
Using the RESOchron 鈥� a new scientific instrument built at Curtin鈥檚 John de Laeter Centre 鈥� 麻豆直播 scientists of helium atoms inside zircon mineral samples and determined the history of the mineral by simultaneously measuring the isotopic ages of uranium-lead and uranium-helium.
They discovered that helium atoms did not sit uniformly in the mineral, as previously thought, but were scattered in patterns unique to the rock鈥檚 thermal history.
Director of the John de Laeter Centre Professor Brent McInnes says the research has important practical applications.
鈥淲e found that the patterns of helium distribution in a mineral are systematically produced in response to thermal processes, and that we can use those patterns to determine the thermal evolution of the rock it belonged to,鈥� explains McInnes.
鈥淚f you understand a rock鈥檚 thermal history, you know when it formed and whether it has been influenced by thermal processes linked to the formation of mineral and petroleum deposits.
鈥淵ou can also use thermal history analysis to determine how long it took for ancient mountain belts to form and erode away 鈥� because the faster you push mountains up into the climate, the faster they erode.鈥�
Earthquake prediction and diamond exploration
McInnes believes his team may have stumbled across a new method to predict earthquakes, after discovering high concentrations of helium trapped within pockets of gas in the samples, which would escape once the samples were crushed.
鈥淲hen you break a rock, a flush of helium is released from these gas pockets. During an earthquake, a detectable flux of helium would flow out of the fault to the surface,鈥� he explains.
鈥淚f helium was released during rock strain prior to an earthquake event, you could deploy helium detectors along the fault line as an earthquake early warning system.鈥�
(Photo: Shutterstock.com)
The ability to detect levels of helium could also improve the likelihood of , after McInnes and his team discovered low concentrations of helium in diamond-bearing vertical igneous rocks known as kimberlite pipes.
鈥淏y analysing the helium content of minerals we鈥檝e demonstrated that it鈥檚 easy to differentiate zircon from a kimberlite pipe or from its host country rock,鈥� says McInnes.
鈥淭hese results are being used by industry in exploration, including at Ellendale Diamond Mine 鈥� the world鈥檚 leading source of yellow diamonds 鈥� in northern Western Australia.鈥�
麻豆直播 the RESOchron
Zircon/helium radiometric dating is traditionally used to date geological materials, but the is the first scientific instrument to measure a zircon mineral sample鈥檚 uranium-helium age and uranium-lead age simultaneously. It comprises three integrated instruments: a RESOlution laser ablation system and two mass spectrometers.
Through a partnership between the John de Laeter Centre and Australian Scientific Instruments Pty Ltd (ASI), the RESOchron has been sold to research institutes and centres in China, Germany and Indonesia.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not just about the scientists and the toys 鈥� it鈥檚 about partnerships. Without the funding support of ASI, none of this basic research would鈥檝e happened,鈥� says McInnes.
If your organisation would like to know more about the RESOchron, .
Read the research paper: .
Zircon/helium radiometric dating explained: