A diamond mantle layer approximately 16 kilometers (10 miles) thick may exist beneath the surface of Mercury, according to a recent study.
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Recent discoveries from the research team at the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium, published on popular astronomy and space news outlet Space.com, suggested that Mercury, the planet nearest to the Sun, may have a surface that contains a diamond mantle layer ten miles thick.
Published in the international journal Nature Communications, the data collected by NASA’s MESSENGER spacecraft led scientists to suggest that Mercury’s mantle may consist of diamonds after previously believing Mercury’s dark surface was due to its high graphite content.
Olivier Namur, an associate professor at KU Leuven, explained that diamond formation is possible given the pressure at the boundary between Mercury’s mantle and core. He further noted that Mercury’s core was initially in a liquid state, but as it crystallized over time, it formed diamonds.
The research team used a large-scale press to recreate Mercury’s internal environment and observed the diamond formation process after subjecting synthetic silicates similar to Mercury’s mantle to pressures exceeding 7 GPa (gigapascals) and temperatures of 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit after analyzing the process. Through computer modeling, the researchers suggested the diamonds formed through two methods: one involving the crystallization of a magma ocean, which would create a thin layer of diamonds, and the other occurring during the crystallization of Mercury’s metallic core, where diamonds would remain at the boundary between the core and the mantle.
The team estimates that an initial diamond layer about 0.6 miles thick formed, gradually increasing in thickness over time. This research could provide crucial insights into understanding Mercury’s volcanic activity and cooling processes.
Launched in August 2004, the MESSENGER spacecraft conducted its mission to explore Mercury from 2011 to 2015. It collected significant data on Mercury’s geology and magnetic field and discovered water ice in shadowed regions near the poles.
After completing its mission in 2015, MESSENGER ended its journey by crashing into Mercury’s surface.
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