The Stream, March 14: Newly Discovered Diamond Could Help Reveal Origin of Earth’s Water

A small diamond found in Brazil contains a form of mineral that could tell scientists more about the amount of water deep in Earth’s mantle, and if that water was part of the planet’s original composition, according to a new study published in Nature. The mineral suggests that the diamond formed in a water-rich area of the mantle’s transition zone, though scientists are debating how much water is really present in the zone.

Mining
A drought in Indonesia could reduce output at the country’s tin mines and smelters, which require large amounts of water, Bloomberg News reported. Indonesia is the largest exporter of tin in the world, exporting more than 91,000 tons last year.

A South Africa drainage project meant to reduce water contamination from acid mine rocks is nearing completion in April, Bloomberg News reported. Acid mine drainage from old gold mines threatens to pollute the water supply for Johannesburg .

Brazil
Drought in Brazil is pushing up energy prices as hydropower is threatened by low water levels, forcing the government to pay more to power distributors, Reuters reported. Extra energy costs because of the dry spell could reach $US 7.6 billion this year.

United States
Newly released documents further question the relationship between North Carolina’s environmental regulators and Duke Energy, the company that recently spilled tons of coal ash into the Dan River, The New York Times reported. The documents include e-mails that appear to show state lawyers talked with the company before asking a judge to exclude private citizen groups from settlement talks over a pollution case last year.

The Stream is a daily digest spotting global water trends. To get more water news, follow Circle of Blue on Twitter and sign up for our newsletter.

Codi Kozacek

A news correspondent for Circle of Blue based out of Hawaii. She writes The Stream, Circle of Blue’s daily digest of international water news trends. Her interests include food security, ecology and the Great Lakes.
Contact Codi Kozacek