This week, scientists revealed a mind-bending possibility: up to 10 million tons of diamonds could be hidden deep within the atmospheres of Saturn and Jupiter. Though it sounds like something out of a sci-fi novel, new research suggests that these gas giants might host vast diamond deposits, formed by powerful lightning storms.
Studies show that thunderstorms on Saturn and Jupiter can generate carbon particles, which may eventually crystallize into diamonds under extreme pressure and temperature conditions. Researchers have conducted lab experiments and simulations to better understand how carbon behaves in such harsh environments. Based on this, two scientists proposed that both planets could support the formation of solid diamonds in certain regions of their atmospheres.
Kevin Baines, a planetary scientist from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, explained that while the maximum temperature diamonds can withstand is around 8,000 K, Saturn and Jupiter have stable layers where diamonds could exist. “These conditions have never been combined before,†he said. “This suggests that solid diamonds may be present in large vertical regions of both planets.â€
The findings were presented at a recent meeting in Denver, Colorado, with Baines as one of the researchers involved. Earlier theories suggested only Uranus and Neptune could produce diamonds, due to their high methane content and intense pressure. However, Saturn and Jupiter were thought to lack the right conditions because they are cooler and contain much less methane—only 0.5% and 0.2%, respectively, compared to 15% on Uranus and Neptune.
But new evidence shows that lightning storms on Saturn and Jupiter could play a key role in diamond formation. These storms break down methane into carbon particles, which then sink deeper into the atmosphere. As pressure increases, the carbon transforms into graphite and eventually into solid diamonds.
Baines estimates that about 1,000 tons of diamonds are produced each year, with an estimated 10 million tons forming over time in a thick atmospheric layer. However, the situation differs on Jupiter. At its deepest levels, the environment is so extreme that diamonds might melt, creating what some call a "liquid diamond ocean." There, the presence of hydrogen compounds could cause diamonds to break down into other materials.
In contrast, Uranus and Neptune are colder, so any diamonds formed there might remain solid for billions of years. But on Saturn and Jupiter, the diamonds may not last forever.
Some scientists, like William Hubbard from the University of Arizona, remain skeptical. He argues that lightning storms don’t produce enough soot to form diamonds, and the extreme conditions might destroy them before they can crystallize.
Meanwhile, researcher Mona Delitsky suggests that these diamonds could range in size from tiny microns to “diamond icebergs†as big as peas. She even imagines future robotic missions exploring these gas giants to mine the precious gems.
This groundbreaking study was presented at the 45th annual meeting of the Division for Planetary Sciences of the American Astronomical Society.
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