“Climate intervention with diamond dust could buy time”

A study involving the Institute of Geosciences (IGEO, UCM-CSIC), dependent on the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (MICIU), is studying use of mineral dust as an additional measure to combat climate change.

The work, carried out by the Federal Polytechnic School of Zurich (ETH-Zurich) and published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, suggests that Injecting diamond and calcite particles into the stratosphere could help reflect the sun’s rays back into space and thereby reduce global warming.This is reported by CSIC.

Experts note that this strategy will not be a permanent solution to climate change, and emphasize the need for continued research to assess its economic viability and possible risks.

The study combined climate modeling and laboratory measurements to examine how the optical properties of diamond and other minerals such as calcite (CaCO3) could be used as a climate change intervention strategy to increase the reflectance of solar radiation.

Stratospheric Aerosol Injection (SAI) has the goal is to reproduce the effects of volcanic eruptions.which have been shown to temporarily cool the planet’s climate. The researchers used a state-of-the-art climate model to simulate the effects of the injection and dispersion of ultrafine dust (150-300 nanometers) of various materials in the upper atmosphere.

According to Gabriel Chiodo, a scientist at IGEO-UCM-CSIC and co-author of the study, the climate model used is capable of simulating microphysical interactions between particulate matter. This innovative approach predicts how This dust will affect the energy balance of the global climate and planet..

Until now, the most proposed method of introducing aerosols into the stratosphere has been to spray sulfur dioxide (SO2) to increase the layer of stratospheric aerosols and reflect solar radiation and thus cool the Earth.

However, this study raises the question alternative method by separating ultrafine particles from other materials. “The results show that diamond dust may be significantly more effective than other aerosols previously proposed for solar geoengineering, such as sulfuric acid aerosols,” says Sandro Vattoni, a researcher at ETH-Zurich and lead author of the study.

The high reflectivity of sunlight and low chemical reactivity of diamonds in stratospheric environmental conditions would make them ideal candidates for this purpose.

According to Gabriel Chiodo, “the great advantage of these materials is that they are almost They do not absorb infrared radiation. and thus they would not warm the stratosphere.” “Therefore, they would not lead to changes in stratospheric circulation and other secondary effects (such as increased concentrations of water vapor in the stratosphere) that are expected with the most conventional geoengineering method, sulfuric acid aerosols,” he adds.

The results show that diamond dust may be more effective than other sprays offered. However, uncertainty remains regarding its practical feasibility, especially in terms of preventing particles from sticking to each other. This adhesion will reduce its reflectivity and accelerate its deposition, thereby reducing its effectiveness in cooling the climate.

The study estimates the dispersal of approximately one million tons of diamond dust per year may partially counteract global warming. However, the costs involved raise doubts about its economic feasibility, as they could exceed billions of euros.

The researchers emphasize that this method does not address the root causes of global warming. “Intervening on climate change with diamond dust could buy time, but it is not a permanent solution,” says Chiodo.

The study also highlights the possible risks and side effects of diamonds dispersing into the atmosphere, including changes in precipitation patterns. Therefore, the authors suggest that the scientific community conduct more research on these aspects before considering any large-scale implementation.

This pioneering work, in which IGEO-UCM-CSIC participated, opens up new possibilities for climate geoengineering research. Scientists insist it is critical to continue exploring innovative solutions while prioritizing reducing greenhouse gas emissions and switching to sustainable energy sources.