Abstract
Seafloor morphology plays a key role in submarine mineral exploration as precious minerals are associated with specific geomorphological settings. Mn-nodules occur in abyssal plains, seafloor massive sulphides are strongly connected to volcanic areas and sand, gravel and other marine minable aggregates are deposited in coastal environments. For resource assessments and exploitation, a detailed knowledge of the seafloor morphology is essential to evaluate areas of terrain that cannot be mined due to technical limitations, and to estimate abundance, extent and thickness of the deposits. The most important method used is multibeam mapping, from which bathymetric and backscatter data are derived. These are often linked to side scan sonar surveys and sub-bottom profiling. Optical video and photo data provide additional information about substrate type and ecology, and help improve and adapt exploration and exploitation plans and technology. For the three most important marine mineral types—sand and gravel, Mn-nodules and seafloor massive sulphides—exploration and exploitation methods are described and the environmental impacts associated with mining these resources are discussed.
References
Baker E, Beaudoin Y (2013) Deep Sea Minerals: sea floor massive sulphides, a physical, biological, environmental, and technical review, SPC
Baker ET, Resing JA, Haymon RM et al (2016) How many vent fields? New estimates of vent field populations on ocean ridges from precise mapping of hydrothermal discharge locations. Earth Planet Sci Lett 449:186–196
Bilenker LD, Romano GY, McKibben MA (2016) Kinetics of sulfide mineral oxidation in seawater: implications for acid generation during in situ mining of seafloor hydrothermal vent deposits. Appl Geochem 75:20–31
Boschen RE, Rowden AA, Clark MR et al (2013) Mining of deep-sea seafloor massive sulphides: a review of the deposits, their benthic communities, impacts from mining, regulatory frameworks and management strategies. Ocean Coast Manag 84:54–67
Caress DW, Clague DA, Paduan JB et al (2012) Repeat bathymetric surveys at 1-metre resolution of lava flows erupted at axial seamount in April 2011. Nat Geosci 5:483–488
Clague DA, Dreyer BM, Paduan JB et al (2014) Eruptive and tectonic history of the Endeavour Segment, Juan de Fuca Ridge, based on AUV mapping data and lava flow ages. Geochem Geophys Geosyst 15:3364–3391
Collins M (2010) Offshore sand and gravel mining. Mar Policy Econ A Deriv Encycl Ocean Sci 265
Cronan DS (1992) Marine minerals in exclusive economic zones. Springer, p 209
Cruickshank M, Hess H (1978) Marine sand and gravel mining. Government Printing Office, Washington
Föllmi B (1996) The phosphorus cycle, phosphogenesis and marine phosphate-rich deposits. Earth Sci Rev 40:55–124
Greinert J (2015) RV SONNE Fahrtbericht/Cruise Report SO242-1: JPI OCEANS Ecological Aspects of Deep-Sea Mining, DISCOL Revisited, Guayaquil-Guayaquil (Equador), 28 Aug–25 Sept 2015
Hannington MD, de Ronde CD, Petersen S, (2005) Sea-floor tectonics and submarine hydrothermal systems. Econ Geol 100th Anniv Vol 111–141
Hannington M, Petersen S, Krätschell A (2017) Subsea mining moves closer to shore. Nature Geosci 1–2
Hein JR, Koschinsky, A (2013) Deep-ocean ferromanganese crusts and nodules. In: Holland HD, Tuerkian, KK (eds) Treatise on geochemistry (2nd edn) 11, Elsevier, pp 273–291
Hein JR, Mizell K, Koschinsky A, Conrad TA (2013) Deep-ocean mineral deposits as a source of critical metals for high- and green-technology applications: comparison with land-based resources. Ore Geol Rev 51:1–14 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.oregeorev.2012.12.001
Ishiguro S, Yamauchi Y, Odaka H et al (2013) Development of mining element engineering test machine for operating in seafloor hydrothermal deposits. Mitsubishi Heavy Ind Tech Rev 50(2):21
Jamieson JW, Claude DA, Hannington MD (2014) Hydrothermal sulfide accumulation along the Endeavour Segment, Juan de Fuca Ridge. Earth Planet Sci Lett 395:136–148
Kotlinski R, Stoyanova V (1998) Physical, chemical, and geological changes of marine environment caused by the benthic impact experiment at the 10 M BIE Site. In: 8th International offshore and polar engineering conference, international society of offshore and polar engineers
Kuhn T, Rühlemann C, Wiedicke-Hombach M et al (2011) Tiefseeförderung von Manganknollen. Schiff and Hafen 5:78–83
Liu S, Hu J, Zhang R et al (2016) Development of mining technology and equipment for seafloor massive sulfide deposits. Chin J Mech Eng 29(5):863–870
Madureira P, Brekke H, Cherkashov G et al (2016) Exploration of polymetallic nodules in the area: reporting practices, data management and transparency. Marine Policy 70:101–107
Markussen JM (1994) Deep seabed mining and the environment: consequences, perceptions, and regulations. Citeseer 31–39
Murton B (2000) A global review of non-living resources on the extended continental shelf. Rev Bras de Geofí 18(3). doi:org/10.1590/S0102-261X2000000300007
Oebius HU, Becker HJ, Rolinski S et al (2001) Parametrization and evaluation of marine environmental impacts produced by Deep-Sea manganese nodule mining. Deep Sea Res Part II 48(17–18):3453–3467
Padan J (1983) Offshore sand and gravel mining. In: Offshore technology conference
Pearson JS (1975) Ocean floor mining. England Noyes Data Corporation, London
Petersen S, Krätschell A, Augustin N et al (2016) News from the seabed—geological characteristics and resource potential of deep-sea mineral resources. Mar Policy 70:175–187
Rona PA (2003) Resources of the sea floor. Science 299:673–674
Rona PA (2008) The changing vision of marine minerals. Ore Geol Rev 33:618–666
Rühlemann C, Kuhn T, Kasten S et al (2011) Current status of manganese nodule exploration in the German license area. In: 9th ISOPE ocean mining symposium, international society of offshore and polar engineers
Sharma R (2001) Indian Deep-Sea environment experiment (INDEX): an appraisal. Deep Sea Res Part II 48(16):3295–3307
Sharma R (2011) Deep-sea mining: Economic, technical, technological, and environmental considerations for sustainable development. Mar Technol Soc J 45(5):28–41
Shirayama Y, Fukushima T (1997) Responses of a meiobenthos community to rapid sedimentation. In: Proceedings of the international symposium on environmental studies for Deep-Sea Mining
Thiel H (2001) Use and protection of the deep sea—an introduction. Deep-Sea Res II 48:3427–3432
Vanreusel A, Hilario A, Ribeiro PA et al (2016) Threatened by mining, polymetallic nodules are required to preserve abyssal epifauna. Sci Rep 6:26808
Von Stackelberg U (2000) Manganese Nodules in the Peru Basin. In: Handbook of marine mineral deposits. CRC Press, Cronan DS, pp 197–238
Yoshikawa S, Okino K, Asada M (2012) Geomorphological variations at hydrothermal sites in the southern Mariana Trough: relationship between hydrothermal activity and topographic characteristics. Mar Geol 303–306:172–182
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Peukert, A., Petersen, S., Greinert, J., Charlot, F. (2018). Seabed Mining. In: Micallef, A., Krastel, S., Savini, A. (eds) Submarine Geomorphology. Springer Geology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57852-1_24
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57852-1_24
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-57851-4
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-57852-1
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)