Scientists have found a faster way to remove excess carbon dioxide from the Earth's atmosphere, that is one of the major causes of global warming, transforming it into stone.

This new experiment is known as CarbFix, as scientists reveal the results of this US $10 million, two year project in Iceland. Researchers have carried out this experiment within one third of a mile deep into the the rocks on Iceland, which can hopefully become a major step closer to fighting man made climate change.

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According to lead author of the study, Juerg Matter from the University of Southampton, England, this experiment involved pumping carbon dioxide and water into basalt rocks found underground where natural chemical processes ensued. This acid-like mixture naturally dissolved the calcium magnesium inside the rocks and transformed them into limestone, ultimately trapping gas responsible for excessive heat in the atmosphere.

Matter revealed the results of this experiment as no longer gas but essentially carbon dioxide that converted into stone.

Past studies and research have already conducted tests with this method under laboratory conditions and initially thought that it would take thousands or more than 100,000 of years for this to form. However, in the past two years, 95 percent of the gas that was captured from the atmosphere and converted into stone, in this new study.

Apart from dramatically reducing fossil fuel emissions, another way to combat climate change and global warming is by capturing carbon dioxide from air or via power plants. Matter also says that carbon capture is not the ultimate solution to our over heating planet but this can be hugely significant in reducing carbon dioxide emissions that are in excess, mainly because of humans.

Carbon capture is a complex and even more expensive process, specifically the capturing part. When the gas is captured in the atmosphere, its storage poses another challenging step in the process. Storage options include injecting this underground in almost empty oil wells, however there are still crucial concerns about preventing these carbon emissions from escaping.

In this new study, the injection of this gas into basalt and allowing natural processes to take place can solve this. However, this might cost around $17 for every ton of carbon dioxide and injecting this gas into old wells can become a logistical problem, says Matter.

Basalt can be found almost anywhere in the world, like India, the northwestern Pacific and in South America. Researchers also reveals that the ocean floor is so rich in basalt that it can be a potential candidate in storing this excess carbon.

This new study is published in the journal Science.

Tagsglobal warming, Climate Change, Iceland, carbon capture, carbon dioxide into stone, carbon emissions into stone, carbfix