Diamonds from Antarctica - The World

icy mountains of Antarctica hiding a secret that just unveiled an international team of scientists: the presence of diamonds inside. The authors of this research, which was just published in the journal Nature Communications , have found that in the white continent’s kimberlite , a type of rock that is known to contain this gemstones.

rock named after the South African town of Kimberley , where the abundance of mineral triggered the great diamond rush in the nineteenth century, it has been found on the slopes of Mount Meredith, in Prince Charles Mountains (East Antarctica).

“It’s the first real kimberlite is found in Antarctica,” the researchers wrote in their study.

Diamonds are formed from pure carbon under extreme heat and pressure at a depth of about 150 kilometers in the crust . Volcanic eruptions close these valuable stones to the surface and usually remain in kimberlite. Through this rock found significant deposits of diamonds in various regions of the world including Africa, Siberia and Australia.

Scientists may take samples to verify his theory, since their aims are purely scientific, but, if a diamond deposit is discovered on the frozen continent, they can not be exploited for economic purposes, at least until 2041 . The Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty added in 1991, the prohibition of any activity related to the extraction of mineral resources if the purpose is commercial, for at least 50 years.

“Probably no one is opposed to the extension of the ban, despite the potential of finding diamonds in Antarctica,” says Nature Communications in a statement.

But other experts are not so sure. “We do not know what the signatories of the Antarctic Treaty would argue about the possibility of exploiting mines after 2041, or technologies that could exist for mineral extraction economically feasible ,” said Kevin Hughes of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research, told Reuters.

In any case, many geologists doubt that mining diamonds can be an economically viable target , considering the distance, the cold and darkness of the Antarctic territory.