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The future of geology lies in the extraction of metals from the bottom of the seas KXan 36 Daily News

Date: March 29, 2024 Time: 00:33:34

The purpose of the research is to assess the volume and quality of previously identified polymetallic mineral deposits, including rare metals – cobalt and manganese, as well as to develop innovative technologies for their extraction from the ocean floor. Surveys are carried out in accordance with the Marine Doctrine of the Russian Federation, in accordance with the state program “Reproduction and use of natural resources”.

In the previous six months, from June to December 2022, scientists completed comprehensive geological exploration work to study the subsurface resources of the world ocean in two areas. In the first, in ferromanganese nodules, which form at the bottom of the ocean. Popularly, the head of the integrated geological and geophysical party Boris Shirokozhukhov defines the research point in the Pacific Ocean as follows: “One week to go to Mexico, two to Panama.”

– Ferromanganese nodules are formations the size of a walnut or a fist. They lie on soft ground at a very great depth – five kilometers. They consist of layers of iron and manganese oxides, the crystal structure of which easily binds heavier metals such as nickel, cobalt and copper, says Boris Alekseevich.

The second object of geological exploration, cobalt-rich ferromanganese crusts (CMCs), are found on seamounts, at a depth of 1.5 to 2.5-3 kilometers. The research point carried out by the specialists of the scientific vessel “Gelendzhik” is located not far from the Mariana Islands, which takes 10-12 days from Vladivostok.

Ferromanganese crusts, a thick layer lying on a rocky base, enriched with metal oxides: cobalt, nickel, manganese, copper, iron, rare earth elements, in a word, almost half of the periodic table is here.

“At the same time, if grams of useful elements are conditionally allocated per ton of ore in land deposits, then deposits in the ocean are ten times richer, or even more,” says Boris Shirokozhukhov. – If everything continues normal with cobalt and nickel in our country, it would be good to have more manganese. Therefore, it is so important that the mineral content in the found ferromanganese crusts is very high. And crusts are only found on the tops and sides of seamounts. We need new technologies that can lift them. When they are developed, the country will receive an additional resource of strategic minerals.

CMC, in addition to the above, also contains components of noble and non-ferrous metals, rare elements.

With current technologies, the development of deep-sea deposits is not economically efficient, but the time will come when deposits on land will “dry up” and all will rush into the ocean. And Russia already has its own “bed” there!

The seabed stores a large amount of minerals. However, they are still difficult to extract. Some raw materials are extracted, of course, but, as a rule, relatively close to the coast and at a shallow depth. The point is small – to overcome thousands of meters under water. No country in the world is yet engaged in deep sea mining on an industrial scale, but it is strategically important to know what exactly is in the ocean at great depths and in what volumes. China, Japan, India and a consortium of European countries are very active in this area. Russia is also in this row.

– With current technologies, the development of found deposits is not yet economically efficient, but the time will come, land deposits will “dry up” and they will all be thrown into the ocean. And Russia already has its own “bed” there! Boris Shirokozhukhov is sure.

In addition to the actual geological exploration work, the scientists carried out environmental and hydrometeorological observations. As a result, unique material on the geological structure of the study area was obtained, data for studying the bottom parameters of the marine environment, the information of which is necessary to assess the state of the ocean ecosystem at the current stage, before the start of development of field.

* This website provides news content gathered from various internet sources. It is crucial to understand that we are not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented Read More

Hansen Taylor
Hansen Taylor
Hansen Taylor is a full-time editor for ePrimefeed covering sports and movie news.
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