High Levels of Helium-3 Found in Rocks on Baffin Island

October 23, 2023

A recent study published in the journal Nature reported evidence of high levels of helium-3 in rocks on Canada’s Baffin Island, raising the intriguing possibility that the Earth’s core may be leaking. This discovery has significant implications for our understanding of the Earth’s composition and offers a unique opportunity to study core material, which has never been done before.

Background

Helium-3 is an isotope of helium, and its presence on Earth’s surface is rare.
It is considered an ancient isotope that was prevalent during the planet’s formation and became trapped in the Earth’s core.
Helium-3 that reaches the surface typically escapes into the atmosphere and dissipates into space, making its presence on the Earth’s surface significant.

The Study

Researchers embarked on a study of helium-3 and helium-4, a common isotope, on Baffin Island, part of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago.
Previous research had identified trace elements of helium-3 in lava flows on the island, hinting at the possibility of core leakage.
The recent study found much higher levels of helium-3 in multiple lava flows on Baffin Island than previously observed.

Key Findings

The study revealed exceptionally high ratios of helium-3 to helium-4 within these rocks—higher than any other terrestrial rock measured.
These high ratios provide additional evidence that helium-3 is potentially leaking from the Earth’s core.

Significance

The discovery of elevated helium-3 levels in terrestrial rocks is significant because it may open the door to studying core material, a feat previously considered impossible.
If the helium-3 is indeed originating from the core, it suggests that other core materials may also be present in the vicinity, providing physical examples of core material for scientific investigation.

Scientific Implications

Understanding the composition and dynamics of the Earth’s core is of paramount importance for geophysics and Earth science.
This finding offers an unprecedented opportunity to gain insights into the Earth’s core and its properties, which have remained largely inaccessible until now.

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