Diamond dust could play a role in climate control efforts, study suggests
It is unclear whether the method will ever be tested outside of a 3D modeling stage. Researchers did not delve into the potential costs of such efforts. The average price for a one-carat diamond is between $2,000 and $16,000.
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Recent research suggests that injecting solid particles into the atmosphere may significantly mitigate stratospheric warming, as the rate continues to climb around the globe.
In a study published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, researchers used computer animation to test various aerosols and found that diamonds and calcites might be the best for mitigating heat.
Certain solid materials may lead to less disruption of patterns around Earth, but whether these materials will ever be tested in the real world remains unclear, according to researchers.
"…We suggest further research on agglomeration processes in turbulent aircraft wakes as well as on measurements of optical properties of a variety of potential solid particle materials," they stated.
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According to NOAA, the rate of global warming has been accelerating since at least the mid-1800s, with temperatures increasing by 0.11 °F every decade.
This additional heat is thought to contribute to the reduction of sea ice and snow cover, as well as changes in precipitation intensity, leading to more frequent extreme weather events.
Groups have conducted stratospheric aerosol injection tests for years, but some climate experts remain skeptical about its overall effectiveness.
An employee displays a 109 carat uncut diamond worth an estimated value of up to $2 million in this arranged photograph at DTC Botswana, a unit of De Beers, in Gaborone, Botswana, on Thursday, Oct. 25, 2012. De Beers, the biggest diamond producer by revenue, is moving the sorting and trading of rough stones to Botswana from London to secure access to the world's largest supplier of diamonds by value and challenge Antwerp's dominance as the world's biggest trading hub for rough diamonds.
(Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)
The method of spraying sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere does not reduce the globe’s leading greenhouse gas - carbon dioxide - and, according to environmental scientists, the chemicals could actually have negative consequences for pollution and the ozone layer.
The goal, whether through gases or solids, is to maximize reflection and reverse the impacts of sunlight and its associated heat.
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The study’s findings also underscored some of the uncertainties surrounding the feasibility of using solid particles.
"Uncertainties remain as to whether stratospheric dispersion of solid particles is feasible without formation of agglomerates," researchers stated.
The study also did not delve into the potential costs of such efforts either for testing or use on a permanent basis.
The average price tag for a one-carat diamond is between $2,000 and $16,000, compared to the average cost of sulfur dioxide, which is only around $185 per metric ton.
Given the need for millions of tons of material to cool the Earth each year, the costs would likely render diamonds prohibitively expensive, keeping scientists on a mission to seek materials that could potentially spare the world from the future impacts of climate change.