Seamount Mineral Deposits: A SOURCE OF RARE METALS FOR HIGH-TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRIES

Seamount Mineral Deposits A SOURCE OF RARE METALS FOR HIGH-TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRIES

The near exponential growth in Earth's population and the global economy puts increasing constraints on our planet's finite supply of natural metal resources, and, consequently, there is an increasing need for new sources to supply high-tech industries. To date, effectively all of our raw-...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Oceanography (Washington, D.C.) Vol. 23; no. 1; pp. 184 - 189
Main Authors: HEIN, JAMES R., CONRAD, TRACEY A., STAUDIGEL, HUBERT
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: The Oceanography Society 01-03-2010
Subjects:
Marine resources
metal resources
MOUNTAINS IN THE SEA
Nodules
Ocean floor
Sea water
seabed mining
Seamounts
Sulfides
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Summary:The near exponential growth in Earth's population and the global economy puts increasing constraints on our planet's finite supply of natural metal resources, and, consequently, there is an increasing need for new sources to supply high-tech industries. To date, effectively all of our raw-metal resources are produced at land-based sites. Except for nearshore placer deposits, the marine environment has been largely excluded from metal mining due to technological difficulties, even though it covers more than 70% of the planet. The case can be made that deep-water seabed mining is inevitable in the future, owing to the critical and strategic metal needs for human society. In this paper, we evaluate the case that seamounts offer significant potential for mining.
ISSN:1042-8275
2377-617X
DOI:10.5670/oceanog.2010.70