AI in Paris: Chinese and French scientists uncover secrets of Earth

In a cutting-edge collaboration between France and China, scientists in Paris are using AI to investigate one of the biggest mysteries in planetary science: how Earth and other planets formed and evolved over billions of years.

At the forefront of this research is Senior Researcher Razvan Caracas and his international team at the Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris (CNRS). 

Together with a group of predominantly Chinese postgraduates, Caracas is employing AI and advanced simulations to understand how early volcanic activity shaped the planet's atmosphere – particularly how lava and magma released gases like CO2 before oxygen was even present.

Chaotic evolution

By zooming in at the atomic level, researchers are recreating the chaotic environment of Earth's formative years. 

"At the end, we do a lot of statistics and a lot of mathematical analysis," said Caracas. "Then we try to extract properties that we can relate to the actual phenomena that happen in reality, like volcanic eruptions."

Because simulating billions of atoms in real volcanic lava is impossible, the team focuses on small-scale atomic models. These are then interpreted using AI and machine learning, which help bridge the microscopic data with macroscopic geological processes.

The work that's being done in Paris was seen as science fiction just a decade ago, but now, thanks to AI, scientists are turning fiction into fact.

Machine learning allows the team to scale up their understanding, making it possible to link atom-level interactions with large-scale planetary phenomena. Caracas added: "Without AI and without machine learning, we cannot do it. We would always be stuck on this small scale."

One of the Chinese researchers, Xi Zhu, highlighted the excitement of the discoveries.

"We're trying to simulate one million atoms. It's great, always great, to do science, to discover new things, and explore the unknown."

Mystery of Earth

As this international partnership deepens, so too does the pace of discovery. 

The team's research is helping to unlock the secrets of the Hadean eon – Earth's mysterious first 100 million years, dating back around 4.6 billion years.

With powerful tools and global collaboration, scientists are now closer than ever to understanding how our planet – and possibly others – first came to life.