According to a new study about diamond formation, diamonds may actually be really common deep down the Earth's surface.
The most precious gemstone may not be as rare as most people assumed as a new research suggests that they can be formed in a certain way deep down the Earth's underground.
Scientists from Johns Hopkins University presented a new and alternative model on how to display the conditions in which diamonds can be formed. The study which was published in Nature Communications may also suggest that even if their theory is true, the diamond formation may be considered microscopic and inaccessible due to the depth where it is formed.
Dimitri Sverjensky of Johns Hopkins University said in a statement the possibility of their study.
"Diamond formation in the deep Earth, the very deep Earth, may be a more common process than we thought," stated by the geochemist.
According to the model, at a very high temperatures (1,650 degrees Fahrenheit) and pressure (725,000 pounds per square inch), water can naturally form diamonds as it flows and transfers to different kinds of rock underground.
Scientists said that the idea behind the formation is the natural drop of water's PH. As the water reacts with diverse kinds of rock and while the pressure and heat underground is extremely high, its acidity naturally decreases making the water more acidic.
Scientists however clarified that their study is made out of theoretical calculations which suggests that no current technology can able to test their theory.
If the theory is said to be true, the exploration of such minerals seems to be impossible due to its temperature, pressure and depth which is about 90 to 120 miles below the Earth's surface. Sverjensky also added that the deepest depth humans have drilled is only at eight to nine miles below, making the exploration less possible.
As of now, the scientists are hoping that their model can be used in other study in order to understand more the interior of the Earth.
