A Better Understanding of Under Sea Mining in Todays World
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| Visual representation of the Under Sea Mining process. (ksj.mit.edu) |
Could we create a resource rich society with an abundant supply
of rare earth metals that are acquired using clean and affordable
methods of mining? Would answering this question be worth digging where no
man has ever dug before? Do the rewards of such ventures out
weigh their risks?
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| Black Smoker. These Hydro Thermal Vents release minerals such as Ni, Co, Mn, and others into the ocean. These minerals eventually build up on the sea floor making SMS deposits. (Oceanflore.com)
Environmental & Social Advantages
of Deep Sea Mineral production
(Offshore Council, David Heydon)
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| SMS (Submarine Massive Sulfide) Deposit. (wikipedia.com) Benefits and Uses of the Metals Found in Deep Sea Manganese Nodules (Offshore Council, David Heydon)
"A single 5 megawatt (MW) wind turbine requires 1500 tonnes of Steel, 5 tonnes of Nickel, 15 tonnes of Manganese, 5 tonnes of Molybdenum and approximately 5 tonnes of Copper. Measured in tonnes of material per MW, wind power is the most iron and steel intensive of all power generation methods." (Offshore Council, David Heydon) |
Click on links below to open up a new tab and direct you to informational videos on the subject matter of Under Sea Mining.
Pictures
- https://ksj.mit.edu/tracker/2009/04/ap-it-time-again-undersea-mining-save-ve
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seafloor_massive_sulfide_deposits
- http://www.oceanflore.com/20
Videos
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bjin3vB0csk
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0o061c5aO5c
I personally wonder & worry what the environmental impact is when sucking up material from the bottom of the ocean. In the 2 videos (links above: Deep Ocean Mining: The News Frontier - Kitco NEWS & World's First Deep Sea Mining Project Gets Approval - Newsy Tech), they spell out only the basics of the pros and cons to this very new method of mining. So I then googled to find out what the environmental impact was of the 1st under water mining program that has since occurred (Nautilus in Papua New Guinea) and found there were considerable issues not dealt with properly reported by in an independent impact study. In particular, no regard was given to how the currents, upwellings, and other oceanographic properties would effect the silt plumes from excavation which are full of lethal metals and oxygen smothering particles,which would have serious effects on nearby coastal communities and marine ecosystems. This report can be found at: http://underseaminingprosandcons.blogspot.com/2014/03/under-sea-mining-and-its-pros-and-cons_4.html?spref=fb if you are interested in reading further.
ReplyDeleteA 2nd under sea mining project has received approval by the International Waters committee given to the same company that operated in Papua New Guinea. I wonder if they have new methods for solving for the problems they had experienced previously.
Meredith
Dear Mrs. Stroud,
DeleteI understand the concerns you have brought forward. With every new idea or invention, trial runs have to be made so that we can fully understand how a theory or innovation can work and be improved upon in the future. I believe after the first excavation, the engineers working for Nautilus International will have solved any faults in their drilling methods, and will be able to conduct a smoother and safer excavation at their new drilling site.
Are any developed nations looking to undertake this form of mining in their own national waters or is this primarily occurring in international waters and off the coast of developing nations?
ReplyDeleteGreat blog - interesting topic!
Tim
For now mining is taking place off of the coast of developing nations to stimulate their economies, and in international waters where a larger scale of the sea vents happen to be located.
DeleteVery interesting topic. I found this blog to be very informative and I am now more curious about deep sea mining than I had ever been.
ReplyDeleteBrian
In regards to Kyle Fabian who had trouble posting on my blog
ReplyDeleteUpon the topic of deep sea mining, the two things that immediately come to mind are deep sea drilling, and fracking. Both of these processes are highly profitable, and claim to have safe techniques. However, drilling regulations are slack, as seen in the Deepwater horizon oil spill. How will we regulate this industry, and who will regulate it? The UN? Additionally, how will we prevent companies from overexploiting resources, or doing it in a roundabout but harmful way? When fracking, most land owners do not own the mineral rights to their property, and companies can drill under it. This can cause problems such as gas leakage into their groundwater, earthquakes, and sinkholes. People in "better to do" communities will fight fracking, and strict regulations will be enforced. However, people in poorer communities are often exploited by these companies looking to make a profit. What is to stop companies from exploiting the minerals in places where the people do not agree, or cannot argue about the exploitation?
At the end of the day, I believe that we will need to commence projects like these to continue our way of life; however, I believe that we need very rigorous regulations, and constant inspections.
Kyle Fabian
... very interesting blog with much more info than I can digest in a couple of hours.
ReplyDeleteIf we would invest the billions of dollars companies have thrown at this deep sea mining technique - I am sure we would be a smarter world and instead of mining in the deep see and (most likely) destroying one of the last and most important paradises on this earth we would have found ways how to replace the minerals etc these companies are looking for. Most of us agree - it's the ocean where Life started ... !! Do you really want to risk destroying the source we all originate from !? Who is controlling it !? Is it money, the UN, governments ... !? I am extremely concerned about the impact of deep sea mining and I am 99.9% sure that it the wrong way to solve our hunger for "more".
You make a very good point, the developing nations benefiting from this won't stop and think about the environment when their raking in money. The digging in international waters have no regulation either. This is the part you have to think of though, don't big companies and governments already do the same exact thing when it comes to above ground mining? In the US big drilling companies can just throw money at the government whenever they dig to much or do something they shouldn't, and the government is to preoccupied by the money they have just received to really affect how these companies will mine or drill. The positive that out ways the cons here when it comes to undersea mining is that we scientifically can prove that the sea vents will regrow themselves. We might move onto a better source of energy and resources that has nothing to do with the ocean someday, but until then we should utilize a replenish-able source rather than continue destroying the earths surface.
DeleteWhile I can see the benefits of under sea mining I have a concern about disturbing the ocean floor. I can't imagine how one can drill without stirring up sediment. If the water becomes turbid sea creatures who filter water for food will not be able to sustain in that environment. Further, I am concerned with the butterfly effect if we upset an ecosystem.
ReplyDeleteDear Dr. Berwick,
DeleteYour concerns are valid, in fact after the first drilling attempt sediment was disturbed. Science can not move forward however without trial and error. The first drilling attempt was a trial and now that the errors are known engineers and physicists alike can work together to prevent such events from happening again.
Too little is known about the consequences of this new technology and the possible deleterious effects it could have on deep-sea ecosystems and, in turn, our own environment. Science rather than economics should be the driving force, and we should proceed with the utmost caution. Very thought-provoking issue.
ReplyDelete