A 2012 study, illustrated above, argues that plate tectonics can only be a useful model up to the last three billion years. It is a geologic work in progress. Recall it has only been studied since about 1967.
Posted on 02/24/2017 6:09:37 PM PST by JimSEA
A study of tiny mineral 'inclusions' within diamonds from Botswana has shown that diamond crystals can take billions of years to grow. One diamond was found to contain silicate material that formed 2.3 billion years ago in its interior and a 250 million-year-old garnet crystal towards its outer rim, the largest age range ever detected in a single specimen. Analysis of the inclusions also suggests that the way that carbon is exchanged and deposited between the atmosphere, biosphere, oceans and geosphere may have changed significantly over the past 2.5 billion years.
'Although a jeweller would consider diamonds with lots of inclusions to be flawed, for a geologist these are the most valuable and exciting specimens,' said Prof Gareth Davies, of Vrije Universiteit (VU) Amsterdam, who co-authored the study. 'We can use the inclusions to date different parts of an individual diamond, and that allows us to potentially look at how the processes that formed diamonds may have changed over time and how this may be related to the changing carbon cycle on Earth.'
Sixteen diamonds from two mines in north eastern Botswana were analysed in the study: seven specimens from the Orapa mine and nine from the Letlhakane mine. A team at VU Amsterdam measured the radioisotope, nitrogen and trace element contents of inclusions within the diamonds. Although the mines are located just 40 kilometres apart, the diamonds from the two sources had significant differences in the age range and chemical composition of inclusions.
(Excerpt) Read more at sciencedaily.com ...
A 2012 study, illustrated above, argues that plate tectonics can only be a useful model up to the last three billion years. It is a geologic work in progress. Recall it has only been studied since about 1967.
How were the dates determined and what assumptions were conveniently overlooked?
From the above quoted portion of the article: “ A team at VU Amsterdam measured the radioisotope, nitrogen and trace element contents of inclusions within the diamonds. “
They had interns watch them form...a very long dull asignment sure, but its what iterns are for. Also they could not possibly afford a paid staffer to spend over a billion years of man hours on any one task.
I still remember that, as a kid, in the 50s/60s, we were cautioned to ignore the similarity of the coast lines of Africa and South America across the S. Atlantic.
Nothing to see here; Move along. Scientific Consensus and all that...
Ironic that the word Science is in the title.
Just as valid an explanation as the one before. Girl kisses frog, frog instantly turns into handsome prince=fairy tail. Frog plus billions of years and it turns into prince=science.
What word would you use, O, educated, enlightened and erudite one?
Speculation works.
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