Rare, Diamond-Bearing Rock Found in Antarctica's Mountains

Kimberlite, a rare type of rock known for bearing diamonds, has been confirmed on Antarctica for the first time, according to a new study in the journal Nature Communications, but mining on the frozen continent for commercial purposes is forbidden by international treaty until at least 2041.

The presence of kimberlite has been associated with significant diamond caches around the world, including one in the South African town of Kimberley, for which the rock in named.

In the research abstract to their study, the scientists, led by Gergory Yaxley of The Australian National University, wrote:

"Kimberlites have been reported from almost all major cratons on all continents except for Antarctica. Here we report the first bona fide Antarctic kimberlite occurrence" found around Mount Meredith in the northern Prince Charles Mountains.

Although kimberlite has been confirmed in rock samples from the continent's icy mountains, the presence of diamonds, however, were not found, Reuters reported. 

"The fact they are reporting Group One kimberlites is an important one as diamonds are more likely to be found in this style of kimberlite eruption," Teal Riley, a survey geologist with the British Antarctic Survey, told the BBC.

"However even amongst the Group One kimberlites, only 10 percent or so are economically viable, so it's still a big step to extrapolate this latest finding to any diamond mining activity in Antarctica."

Even if bona fide diamonds were found on Antarctica, mining them would face numerous physical and political obstacles.

As an effort to preserve the continent for scientific research and wildlife, The Antarctic Treaty, signed in 1991, bans commercial mining on Antarctica until 2041, and that ban is expected to be extended when the treaty is up for renewal, Reuters reported. Fifty nations, including economic superpowers the US and China, have signed the treaty.

Political hurdles aside, Antarctica's harsh climate, remoteness and winter darkness would make mining the mountains for diamonds extraordinarily difficult.

But if new information or technology comes along that would make Antarctic diamond extraction more realistic, it is possible that the ban on commercial mining could potentially be lifted. For now, the future is uncertain.

"We do not know what the Treaty Parties' views will be on mining after 2041 or what technologies might exist that could make extraction of Antarctic minerals economically viable," Kevin Hughes, of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research, said in a statement obtained by Reuters and the BBC.