Zircons and their message from the Earth’s mantle
Zircon is a mineral that exists in nature from colorless to reddish-brown, yellow, green or blue. Zircon may also be transparent making its visual appearance similar to a diamond. Zircon is a common accessory mineral in many rocks of the continental crust. Their chemical and physical durability allow this mineral to survive even under the pressure and temperature conditions of the Earth’s upper mantle. These characteristics challenged a group of scientists to take a closer look on zircons from basaltic fields in north-eastern Bavaria. Their results show that these zircons were formed in the Earth mantle and were stored in this environment many million of years before they were delivered to the surface by basalt lava flows with which they are associated.