GabyThis idea seems to be borrowed from a science fiction blockbuster. But no: its pros and cons are being weighed very seriously by real scientists.
A team of researchers from the Institute of Atmospheric and Climate Sciences at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich believes that spraying millions of tons diamonds In the sky, it may ultimately become the very solution to the problem. global warming that the world has been searching for so long.
But there is one “but”: this geoengineering project is extremely expensive (the exact amount will be discussed a bit later). The team tried to calculate its cost while studying the impact of spraying various aerosols in the stratosphere on cooling the Earth. It turned out that diamonds are significantly more effective for this purpose than other solid substances that the scientists modeled.
The researchers’ model, in particular, showed that the release of 5 million tons of diamond dust into the stratosphere each year could cool our planet by a striking 1.6 °C.
What conclusions have the scientists reached?
So, in their new study, the team aimed to determine whether we can cool our… the planet by dispersing particles in the air that reflect sunlight using a method known as stratospheric aerosol injection (SAI).
Most previous studies have focused on the injection of sulfur dioxide (SO2) into the atmosphere – a process that occurs naturally during volcanic eruptions.
However, as noted by scientists in an article published in Geophysical Research Letters, this is associated with several limitations. Sulfur dioxide not only causes acid rain worldwide but can also harm the ozone layer and disrupt weather patterns.
Researchers have created a three-dimensional climate model that demonstrated the dispersion effect in stratosphere six solid substances: diamond, calcite, aluminum, silicon carbide, anatase, and rutile.
Thanks to this model, scientists were able to analyze the impact of each particle on climate change. The team was particularly interested in how it would absorb or reflect heat, how long it would remain in the atmosphere, and whether it would clump together with other particles.
The results showed that diamond dust reflects heat best while remaining airborne and does not clump together. And since diamonds are inert, they do not cause acid rain, the publication reported. Daily Mail .
“The side effects on circulation and climate, especially from diamond injection, can be significantly reduced compared to SO2, making diamond particles the most suitable for SAI in terms of optical properties, compared to other studied materials,” the team explained. However, to cool the planet by 1.6 °C – enough to prevent the worst consequences of global warming – a massive load of diamonds will be required.
In an interview with Science magazine, lead researcher Sandro Vattioni explained that to achieve such an effect over 45 years, it would be necessary to spray 5 million tons of diamond particles into the stratosphere each year. This project will require about 200 trillion US dollars by the end of the century (!).
What follows from this?
The results obtained are more than enough to reach the disappointing conclusion: the dispersion of diamonds in the sky is unlikely to become a reality anytime soon. However, this research is undoubtedly a catalyst for further studies on this topic.
“We propose to conduct additional research on the processes of agglomeration in turbulent aircraft wakes, as well as measurements of the optical properties of various potential solid particle materials,” the team added.
Global greenhouse gas emissions are increasing year by year, which is why Earth’s temperature is rising rapidly. Last month was the second hottest September on record: the average global air temperature reached 16.17 °C.
Moreover, several months in 2024 broke previous records, becoming the hottest in recorded history. This includes January, February, March, April, May, and June.
Climatologists around the world are feverishly searching for ways to overcome the climate crisis. First and foremost, as is known, it is necessary to remove greenhouse gases from the air and limit future emissions.
