Unraveling Earth’s dynamic history through sublithospheric diamonds

Most natural diamonds form at depths of 120 to 200 km in Earth’s lithospheric mantle. A small fraction, however, originates much deeper. This group of diamonds, known as sublithospheric diamonds, includes some of the largest and finest diamonds in the world. These diamonds can contain mineral inclusions that represent some of the deepest samples of Earth’s interior. In this talk, I will show how the chemistry of these inclusions records the geological history experienced by their host diamonds, providing a unique window into the dynamic processes that have shaped our planet over time.

Speaker: Peng Ni, UC Los Angeles