A recent study showed Helium-3 leaked from Earth’s core and adds to evidence that Earth formed within a solar nebula. The study points to the Earth’s core as a significant source of Helium-3 gas on Earth.
Study lead author Peter Olson, a geophysicist at the University of New Mexico, said: “About 2,000 grams of Helium-3 leaks out of Earth every year. “About enough to fill a balloon the size of your desk. This is a natural wonder, and a clue to Earth’s history, that there are still large amounts of this isotope in the interior of the Earth,” he said.
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The study adds further clues to the mystery surrounding Earth’s formation and provides additional evidence for the theory that our planet formed within a solar nebula. To estimate the abundance of ancient Helium-3 in the core and track the rate of Helium-3 exchange between the core and the mantle, scientists modeled helium through Earth’s history.
They considered two key stages: initial formation when the planet accumulated helium and following the formation of the Moon, after which helium was lost. The model offers evidence that an object one-third the size of Earth hit the planet early in its history, about 4 billion years ago.
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The collision would re-melt the Earth’s crust, allowing most of the helium to escape. Gas keeps coming out. Scientists also estimate between 10 teragrams (1013 grams) to one petagram (1015 grams) of Helium-3 in its core.
“This large number indicates the formation of the Earth in the solar nebula. Where high concentrations of gas allow it to accumulate deep within planet Earth,” Olson said.
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