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Stephen Haggerty, Professor, Department of Geosciences,
University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Amherst, MA
Research: Geology, Mineralogy, Petrology and Structural
Setting of Diamondiferous Rocks in India
Host: National Geophysics Research Institute, Hyderabad,
India
September 2000-February 2001
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Deep
inside the earth, at depths that reach more than a hundred miles,
diamonds - nature's antiques -- are formed. Three and a half billion
years old, they're brought up to the earth's surface in violent
volcanic eruptions -- and they do more than add sparkle to bracelets
and rings. "They provide an unprecedented window to the earth's
deep interior that is otherwise totally inaccessible," says
Stephen Haggerty, professor of geophysics at the University of
Massachusetts.
And he should know. The world's leading specialist on diamonds,
Haggerty went to Hyderabad, in south central India, to take a
long look into that window. He spent his Fulbright year researching
diamond-bearing rocks, a project with important implications for
India's economy. "Some of the world's most famous diamonds
come from India -- the gems of gems of the diamond world, like
the Hope Diamond. But the primary sources of diamonds in India
have never been found. I wondered: Was this a case of an extraordinary
set of geological circumstances? Or were we not using the appropriate
levels of sophistication in our exploration?"
Haggerty's Fulbright was a crash course in the geology of India,
as he studied unpublished data and talked to researchers on the
ground. Now back in Massachusetts, along with several hundred
pounds of Indian rocks, he recently received National Science
Foundation funding to precisely analyze those rocks and place
them in a global context. "The possibility," he explains,
"is that these are not a traditional rock type, so traditional
techniques don't apply. And the door is always open in the research
arena for something new and surprising. So you always have to
be awake and alert to recognize the unusual from the status quo."
Haggerty's expertise has also been put to work identifying conflict
diamonds, which are sold to finance bloody rebel insurrections
in Africa. In January 2001, he participated in a White House conference
where he provided scientific bases for the identification of these
diamonds, essential for the implementation of the "Clean
Diamonds" act now before Congress. "As a geologist,"
Haggerty says, "it's an opportunity for me to play a deep
role in our society. We now have the chance to play a part in
terminating the source of funding for these rebels. It's something
I feel very deeply about."
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