Greenland's seabed is being studied to see if it is home to marine diamonds, in a survey conducted on behalf of international diamond group De Beers, the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS) said on Wednesday.

Researchers on board the vessel Sanna were to conduct preliminary exploration surveys for eight days at the end of September aimed at gathering information about the Arctic seabed, according to an environmental risk assessment report from the Greenlandic government ahead of the mission.

The sonar inspections were to take place off Greenland's western coast, in a zone measuring 800 kilometres (500 miles), the report said.

"GEUS did a survey for De Beers in September," a GEUS spokeswoman confirmed to AFP, disclosing no other details.

The results were not immediately known.

Western Greenland is already known to have onshore diamonds, but De Beers is attempting to find out whether the precious gems may have been carried out to sea during geological movements.

The company, based in London and owned by mining group Anglo American, obtained an onshore exploration permit in July 2019 in western Greenland, followed by an offshore extension in October 2020.

De Beers is already mining marine diamonds off the coast of Namibia, which is home to the richest known marine diamond deposits in the world, estimated by the company at 80 million carats.

Greenland's natural riches have drawn global attention, though few mining projects have actually come to fruition.

The vast island -- measuring two million square kilometres (772,200 square miles) -- is currently home to two mines: one for anorthosite, whose deposits contain titanium, and one for rubies and pink sapphires.

While Greenland's local government which took power in April is not opposed to all mining activities, it has opposed a proposed uranium mine in southern Greenland.

In July, it also banned all oil exploration amid concerns for the climate and the environment. It is however aiming to diversify its economy beyond fishing and subsidies from Denmark.

An autonomous Danish territory, Greenland's ice sheet is shrinking as the Arctic warms three times faster than the rest of the planet.

cbw/map/po/spm

ANGLO AMERICAN

Related Links
Beyond the Ice Age

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The Space Media Network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceMediaNetwork Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceMediaNetwork Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Scientists discover large rift in the Arctic's last bastion of thick sea ice
Toronto, Canada (SPX) Oct 19, 2021
A new study documents the formation of a 3,000-square-kilometer rift in the oldest and thickest Arctic ice. The area of open water, called a polynya, is the first to be identified in an area north of Ellesmere Island, Canada's northernmost island, and is another sign of the rapid changes taking place in the Arctic, according to researchers. In May 2020, a hole a little smaller than the state of Rhode Island opened up for two weeks in the Last Ice Area, a million-square-kilometer patch of sea ice n ... read more