A team of sound experts have drawn on science to illustrate the singing that emerges from the formation of diamonds during the separation of Pangea into continents.
The breakup of supercontinents, with all the geological events involved, commonly generates gigantic volcanic eruptions extract diamonds from the depths of the earth’s crust and the mantle, bringing them to the surface at great speed. Although we cannot see events like these as they occurred millions of years ago, the experts relied on scientific data published in the journal Nature to create a sonic interpretation of these incredible events.
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In the video we see 240 million years of continental fragmentation and union, with pulses of orange light indicating kimberlite eruptionsa type of igneous rock that may contain diamonds. Each pulse has a pitch: the higher the latitude of the event, the higher it is, while the lower it is, the lower the pitch. Watch:
A background melody accompanies the movement of the tectonic plates, with major (happier) chords emerging when the continents fragment and move apart and minor (darker) chords when they join together.
Diamonds and the breakup of Pangea
The visual and audio representation of the diamonds appearing is quite interesting to watch, but it’s worth remembering that this is a simulation, albeit one based on science. The kimberlite eruptions we see in the video occurred where diamonds are often found today, especially in southern Africa.
Volcanic activity began shortly after the breakup of the supercontinent Pangea, which spread across the sea to form today’s continents. The research on which those responsible for the simulation, from the SYSTEM Sound organization, based themselves, was conducted by a team from the University of Southampton and published in 2023.
In it, geoscientists found that the eruption pattern is caused by several instabilities beneath the separating continents, which also destabilize nearby prograding areas and end up causing kimberlites to be expelled from the mantle. The same company that created the images he often collaborates with NASA, representing cosmic objects like black holes in sound.
Source: Nature, Nature Reviews Earth and Environment
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Source: Terra
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
