Hadean Bridgmanite Found in Present-Day Ocean Island

Hadean bridgmanite, a mineral formed under extreme pressure and temperature conditions during Earth's early history, has been identified in lavas from the submarine Fani Maoré volcano in the Comoros archipelago. This discovery was made possible by new high-precision neodymium isotope data analyzed from recently erupted volcanic material. The findings, published online in Nature on July 1, 2026, indicate the presence of deep mantle heterogeneities that have persisted since Earth's formation.

The research utilized advanced isotopic analysis to trace the origins of the volcanic material. The neodymium isotope signatures measured in the Fani Maoré lavas provide a unique fingerprint, allowing scientists to distinguish between different mantle sources. The specific isotopic ratios detected point to a component that likely originated from the Earth's primordial mantle, a period known as the Hadean eon, which spans from Earth's formation around 4.5 billion years ago to about 4 billion years ago.

Bridgmanite, the high-pressure polymorph of (Mg,Fe)SiO3 perovskite, is the most abundant mineral in Earth's lower mantle. Its presence in such relatively shallow, recently erupted lavas suggests that ancient material, potentially including bridgmanite formed in the deep mantle during the Hadean, can be brought to the surface through deep mantle plumes. This finding offers a rare glimpse into the composition and processes of the early Earth, a period for which direct geological samples are extremely scarce.

The Comoros archipelago, located in the western Indian Ocean, is known for its active volcanism, making it an ideal location for studying deep Earth processes. The Fani Maoré volcano, being submarine, provides access to materials that have not been significantly altered by atmospheric weathering, preserving their original isotopic characteristics. The identification of Hadean bridgmanite in this context supports theories of deep mantle recycling and the long-term preservation of primordial material within the Earth's interior.