be at least 2.7 billion years old. They concluded that the chemical composition of Earth’s atmosphere was established early in its history.
They heated the diamonds to 2000 0C, turning them into
graphite. Then they analyzed the volatile compounds (such as helium,
neon, and argon) driven off. These were absorbed from the atmosphere
during the diamonds’ formation.
Diamonds have an extremely tight lattice
structure, which makes them ideal ‘time capsules’.
--Secular researchers assumed the earth’s atmosphere contained no oxygen at the beginning. In their thinking it took billions of years before the atmosphere could support life.
--However, from the composition
of the volatiles measured in the diamonds it appears that Earth’s early
atmosphere was like it is today. I.e., a life-supporting atmosphere was
present soon after Earth formed—and remained fundamentally the same ever
since.
Lead researcher Dr Michael Broadley, of the University of Lorraine,
presented the findings at the recent Goldschmidt Geochemistry
Conference. He said, “This was a surprising result.”
However, this is no surprise to those who believe the creation account in Genesis—that the earth was created to be inhabited (Isaiah 45:18).
God created the world in six normal-length Earth-rotation days, about
6.000 years ago. He began creating plants on Day 3. Obviously, the
atmosphere needed to be in place by then, and with a composition much
like today’s, so the creatures could breathe." CMI
