Vast Helium Reservoir Discovered in Earth’s Core—Could It Rewrite Our Planet’s History?

• Scientists have found massive amounts of helium trapped in Earth’s core for billions of years.
• This discovery helps explain mysterious helium leaks from volcanic rocks in places like Hawaii and Iceland.
• The findings could reshape our understanding of Earth’s formation and its connection to the early solar system.

How did scientists uncover this hidden helium?
For decades, researchers have puzzled over traces of helium-3 (³He), a rare gas that escapes from deep within the Earth and is found in volcanic rocks. Unlike helium-4, which is constantly produced by radioactive decay, helium-3 is believed to be primordial—meaning it has been present since the formation of the solar system.

A groundbreaking experiment by scientists from the University of Tokyo has now provided an answer. Using a laser-heated diamond anvil cell, they replicated the extreme pressures and temperatures found in Earth’s core. Their experiment showed that helium can bond with iron under these conditions, forming a stable compound that could store vast amounts of helium inside Earth’s core for billions of years.

The results were shocking—scientists found helium concentrations up to 3.3% inside iron, which is 5,000 times more than previously detected. Even after reducing the pressure, the helium remained locked within the iron’s crystal structure, meaning it could slowly leak out over time, explaining the helium-3 traces found in volcanic rocks.

What does this mean for our understanding of Earth?
This discovery could change how we think about Earth’s formation. It suggests that gases from the early solar system—helium and possibly even neon and hydrogen—are still trapped deep inside our planet. Over time, these gases may slowly escape through volcanic activity, providing clues about Earth’s ancient past.

Beyond just helium, this research raises new questions: Could other noble gases also be stored deep within the core? If so, this could help scientists understand how Earth’s atmosphere formed and even offer new insights into how water arrived on our planet.

This study is a major step forward in unraveling Earth’s deepest secrets, and it may just be the beginning of more surprising discoveries about our planet’s hidden past!