Diamond-Encrusted Rock Discovery Offers Insights Into An Ancient Continent

Scientists have discovered a diamond-filled rock at Canada’s Baffin Island that is said to be a part of a 2.7 billion-year-old ancient continent that stretched from Scotland to North America. By Tanvi Jain

 

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Last morning of our 10 day trek through the Itijjagiaq trail on Baffin Island. Starting the day with nice views in the blue hour.

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In a recent study conducted by the Researchers of the University of British Columbia (UBC), on diamond samples of Canada’s largest Baffin Island, it has been discovered that an ancient continent around 2.7-billion-years-old, was actually 10  per cent larger than its previous size estimated during diamond exploration. 

Geologists have found a new part of the North Atlantic Craton (NAC) – the Earth’s crust that stretched from Scotland to North America and broke up 150 million years ago. Upon analysing the diamond-encrusted rock samples, the Scientists have reportedly found mineral signature on them, which are present on other parts of the craton as well. 

 

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The university experts have reportedly assured that the mineral composition is too unique to be found anywhere else, thereby, confirming the fact that the new–found diamond hunk is an extension of the NAC itself. The UBC has called it the ‘missing piece of a puzzle’. 

Moreover, unlike other samples taken from 10 kilometres below the ground, this one has been extracted from a depth of at least 200 kilometres. Before splitting into fragments by the emerging seas and oceans, the NAC was a single continent. Reports further suggest that now a similar procedure is also splitting the Arabian Peninsula from East Africa.

 

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Baffin Island is located between the Canadian mainland and Greenland, and covers an area of more than 5 lakh square kilometres, making it the fifth-largest island in the world.  

The above-mentioned discovery was made while analysing igneous rock samples, recovered during diamond exploration drilling in the Chidliak Kimberlite Province, at the southern stretches of the island. The Kimberlite rock samples were formed millions of years ago at a depth of around 150 to 400 kilometres. They are considered the mainstay of diamond exploration.   

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