Earth's readiness for life's significant boom as early as 2.7 billion years ago is evidenced by the existence of ancient diamonds.

In a groundbreaking study, researchers have discovered that the volatile composition of the Earth's mantle has remained relatively unchanged for over 2.7 billion years. This significant finding sheds light on the early history of our planet and provides valuable insights into the conditions that may have led to the development of life.

The study, conducted by a team of scientists including Martina Menneken and Dr. Thorsten Geisler from the University of Münster, focused on ancient diamonds found in rocks that are at least as old as 2.7 billion years. These diamonds, known as Wawa fibrous diamonds, were heated to over 2000 degrees Celsius to transform them into graphite, which then released tiny quantities of gas for measurement.

The analysis of these gases revealed that they were present in similar proportions to those found in the upper mantle today. This finding suggests that the Earth has been a volatile-rich planet for a much longer period than previously thought.

Dr Suzette Timmerman, an independent commentator, noted that this work is an important step towards understanding the mantle (and atmosphere) in the first half of Earth's history. She added that it could help us better understand the conditions that were present when life first began on our planet.

The conditions for life to develop have been present at least 2.7 billion years ago, and it's likely that these conditions were set well before our 2.7 billion year threshold. A planet rich in volatiles has a better chance of sustaining life, and the Earth's volatile-rich environment appears to have been present for at least 2.7 billion years.

The mantle, the part between the Earth's crust and the core, comprises around 84% of the Earth's volume. The surprising result is that the volatile-rich environment we see around us today is not a recent development, but has been present for at least 2.7 billion years.

The study of ancient diamonds as a time capsule was used to examine the conditions deep inside the Earth's mantle in the distant past. The team measured the isotopes of Helium, Neon, and Argon in ancient diamonds and found them to be present in similar proportions to those found in the upper mantle today.

This research has important implications for our understanding of the Earth's history and the conditions that may have led to the development of life. The Goldschmidt Conference, the World's main geochemistry conference, will take place virtually from 4-9 July 2021, with the 2022 conference taking place in Hawaii. It is expected that this research will be presented and discussed further at these events.

In conclusion, the study of ancient diamonds has provided valuable insights into the Earth's volatile composition over billions of years. The results suggest that the Earth has been a volatile-rich planet for a much longer period than previously thought, and that the conditions for life have been present for at least 2.7 billion years. This research is an important step towards understanding the early history of our planet and the conditions that may have led to the development of life.