The fight against climate change offers disruptive formulas such as the dispersion of materials as strange as atomic energy into the stratosphere of the entire planet.diamond dust and other minerals.
A unique challenge that arises after a study in which the Institute of Geosciences (IGEO, UCM-CSIC)dependent on the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (MICIU).
Facing climate change
The work, led by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH-Zurich) and published in the journal Geophysical research lettersexplores the use of mineral powder as an additional measure to fight climate change.
The race to stop the rise in temperatures on planet Earth, driven by carbon emissions, raises many doubts about humanity’s ability to adopt the solutions in time to limit the rise in global temperature to a maximum of 1.5°C.
According to the latest UN reports, thousands of scientists and government observers have agreed that limiting the increase in the planet’s temperature to the threshold of 1.5°C would help us avoid the worst climate impacts and maintain a habitable climate. However, current policies aim for a temperature increase of 2.8°C by the end of the century.
Diamond and calcite powder
The study which suggests that injection of diamond and calcite particles in the stratosphere could help reflect the Sun’s rays back into space and thus reduce global warming.
Experts stress that this strategy would not constitute a definitive solution to climate change and emphasize the need to continue research to assess its economic viability and its possible risks.
The study combined climate modeling and laboratory measurements examine how the optical properties of diamond and other minerals such as calcite (CaCO3) could be exploited as climate intervention to increase the reflection of solar radiation.
Solar geoengineering
Stratospheric aerosol injection (SAI) aims to reproduce the effects of volcanic eruptionswhich have been shown to temporarily cool the planet’s climate.
This is the case of the proposal of David Keith and other scientists who study in disperse substances in the sky on a planetary level lower the temperature of the planet, according to them, in a controlled manner, as a transitional and reversible system to mitigate global warming.
Solutions based on a relatively new scientific activity, solar geoengineeringalso defined aso modification of solar radiation or climatic intervention.
Dispersion in the stratosphere
However, the promoters of this work used a cutting-edge climate model to simulate the effects of injection and dispersion of ultrafine diamond powder and other materials (150-300 nanometers) in the highest layers of the atmosphere.
According to Gabriel Chiodo, scientist at IGEO-UCM-CSIC and co-author of the study, the climate model used is capable of simulating microphysical interactions between solid particles. This innovative approach makes it possible to predict how this dust would affect the energy balance of the global climate and the planet.
Most efficient system
Until now, the most considered method in strategies for injecting aerosols into the stratosphere has been the dispersion of sulfur dioxide (SO2) to increase the layer by astratospheric aerosols and the reflection of solar radiationand thus cool the Earth.
However, this study proposes an alternative method by emitting ultrafine particles from other materials. “The results indicate that diamond dust could be significantly more effective than other sprays previously offered for solar geoengineering, such as aerosols sulfuric acid“, says Sandro Vattioni, researcher at ETH-Zurich and lead author of the study.
The top reflectivity of sunlight and low chemical reactivity of diamonds in stratospheric environmental conditions would make them ideal candidates for this purpose.
Without warming the atmosphere
According to Gabriel Chiodo, the great advantage of these materials is that they are almost They do not absorb infrared radiation and, in this way, they would not heat the stratosphere.
They would therefore not cause alterations in the stratospheric circulation and other side effectssuch as an increase in concentrations of water vapor in the stratospherewhich are expected with the most common geoengineering method, sulfuric acid aerosols.
The results indicate that diamond dust may be more effective than other sprays offered. However, they persist uncertainties about its practical feasibilityin particular to prevent particles from sticking to each other. This adhesion would reduce its reflective capacity and accelerate its sedimentation, thus reducing its effectiveness in cooling the climate.
Effectiveness, costs and challenges
The study estimates that the dispersion of approximately one million tonnes of diamond dust per year could partially counteract global warming. However, the associated costs raise doubts about its economic viability, as they could exceed billions of euros.
The researchers emphasize that this technique does not address the fundamental causes of global warming. Intervening on the climate with diamond dust could save time, but it is not a definitive solution,” emphasizes Chiodo.
Possible side effects
The study also highlights possible risks and side effects of the dispersion of diamonds in the atmosphere, including changes in the patterns of precipitation.
The authors therefore invite the scientific community to conduct more research on these aspects before considering any large-scale implementation.
This pioneering work, in whichl IGEO-UCM-CSIC contributed, opens new avenues of research in climate geoengineering. Scientists emphasize that it is crucial to continue exploring innovative solutions while prioritizing the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and the transition to sustainable energy sources.
