Naked Science Forum
Non Life Sciences => Geology, Palaeontology & Archaeology => Topic started by: The Silurian Prince on 18/04/2006 23:34:02
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I am wondering what you all think will be the next big geo theory. I mean along the plate tectonics or evolution line of significance(well almost). And when I say theory I mean strictly the scientific meaning of theory not a brainstorm. There are quite a few pretty strange ideas out there. Does anyone have a favourite they think will become a fact in the future. I am thinking maybe abiotic oil.
Also I saw a lecture a few months back with a pretty important government kimberlite geologist. He said with some confidence that carbon found in their kimberlite was biological and almost 4 billion years old. I'm assuming they were smart enough to not rule out groundwater C12 contamination before making a claim like that. I asked him what the source was after the lecture and he had no idea. Anybody have any ideas. I'm not up on kimberlites.
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Another Welch prince? I'll be jiggered. thought Prince Charles was it.
WHO KNOWS? A theory is only validated after overwhelming evidence is accumulated.
As for which one, abiotic oil is a not a new theory. It from the 1800's and was presented as another way of forming oil when I was a sophomore in college ('63), but has now generally fallen out of favor with the discovory of bacteria even in the oldest rocks - granite in Sweden. Nannobacteria, should DNA be found in them, are a possibility for oil generation as well.
Other guys and gals who are not clastic sedimentary people may know of new theories in igneous or metamorphic petrology or post-depositional minerals (i.e., zeolite formation), ways to age date, etc. There is really no way of knowing what is going to happen in the future. There are still people arguing that evolution isn't real.
The mind is like a parachute. It works best when open. -- A. Einstein
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I appreciate your thoughts and I hear what your saying about the age of the abiotic oil thoughts JimBob but that is just my point. It's not yet a theory. I've seen some diamond anvil cell tests performed in a contained environment. Different combinations of minerals were brought to environmental conditions like that of some very deep earth conditions. Video cameras watch the metamorphism which is surprisingly rapid in some cases.
Anyhow some guys have used this to produce methane with a combination of an iron mineral, water and calcite I believe.
So I think this diamond anvil cell technology may have some big implications. Not only in hydrocarbons but maybe earthquakes and tectonics being affected by instantaneous metamorphic changes. Just a thought, still interested in other thoughts.
And Prince Charles has nothing on me, except maybe a Polo match and a bit more money. I'm much better looking.
Enjoy diversity.