Minerals Report - International Seabed Authority
Minerals Report - International Seabed Authority Minerals Report - International Seabed Authority
Based on grade, tonnage, and oceanographic conditions, the centralequatorial Pacific region offers the best potential for Fe-Mn crust mining, particularly the EEZ of Johnston Island (USA), the Marshall Islands, and international waters in the Mid-Pacific Mountains, although the EEZs of French Polynesia, Kiribati, and the Federated States of Micronesia should also be considered. Adding political and international issues to that mix, the EEZ of the Marshall Islands likely offers the best potential for Fe-Mn crust mining in the future, and to date has been the region most extensively studied. There is a growing recognition that cobalt-rich Fe-Mn crusts are an important potential resource. Accordingly, it is necessary to fill the information gap concerning various aspects of crust mining through research, exploration, and technology development. 7. Recommendations For Research At the end of the 20th century, 20 years will have gone into studies of cobalt-rich Fe-Mn crusts. However, many questions remain to be answered and it is recommended that research in the 21st century should include: • Detailed mapping of selected seamounts, including analysis of micro topography • Development of better dating techniques for crusts • Determining the oceanographic and geologic conditions that produce very thick crusts • Determining what controls the concentration of PGEs and other rare elements in crusts • Determining how much burial by sediment is required to inhibit crust growth; and to what extent crusts occur on seamounts under a thin blanket of sediment • Determining the role of micro biota in the formation and growth of crusts INTERNATIONAL SEABED AUTHORITY 234
• Determining the extent and significance of organic complexing of metals that comprise crusts • Studying currents, internal tides, and up welling (physical oceanography) around seamounts • Complete environmental and ecological studies of seamount communities • Development of new mining technologies and processes of extractive metallurgy ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Much of this paper is taken from or modified from a recent comprehensive compilation and discussion of Fe-Mn crusts in the Pacific by Hein et al. (1) and I thank my co-authors of that paper for their indispensable contributions: Andrea Koschinsky, Michael Bau, Frank Manheim, Jung-Keuk Kang, and Leanne Roberts. I also appreciate important discussions and collaborations at times during the past two decades with Peter Halbach, Jai- Woon Moon, Kyeong-Yong Lee, Supriya Roy, Somnath Dasgupta, Virupaxa Banakar, Igor Varentsov, Lev Gramm-Osipov, Irina Pulyaeva, Eric De Carlo, Akira Usui, David Cronan, Charles Morgan, Barrie Bolton, Geoff Glasby, and Randolph Koski, among others. Jennifer Dowling has provided excellent technical assistance. REFERENCES 1. J.R. Hein et al. (2000), Cobalt-rich ferromanganese crusts in the Pacific. In Handbook of Marine Mineral Deposits, D.S. Cronan (ed.), CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida, p. 239-279. 2. J.R. Hein et al. (1) INTERNATIONAL SEABED AUTHORITY 235
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• Determining the extent and significance of organic complexing of metals<br />
that comprise crusts<br />
• Studying currents, internal tides, and up welling (physical oceanography)<br />
around seamounts<br />
• Complete environmental and ecological studies of seamount communities<br />
• Development of new mining technologies and processes of extractive<br />
metallurgy<br />
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS<br />
Much of this paper is taken from or modified from a recent<br />
comprehensive compilation and discussion of Fe-Mn crusts in the Pacific by<br />
Hein et al. (1) and I thank my co-authors of that paper for their indispensable<br />
contributions: Andrea Koschinsky, Michael Bau, Frank Manheim, Jung-Keuk<br />
Kang, and Leanne Roberts. I also appreciate important discussions and<br />
collaborations at times during the past two decades with Peter Halbach, Jai-<br />
Woon Moon, Kyeong-Yong Lee, Supriya Roy, Somnath Dasgupta, Virupaxa<br />
Banakar, Igor Varentsov, Lev Gramm-Osipov, Irina Pulyaeva, Eric De Carlo,<br />
Akira Usui, David Cronan, Charles Morgan, Barrie Bolton, Geoff Glasby, and<br />
Randolph Koski, among others. Jennifer Dowling has provided excellent<br />
technical assistance.<br />
REFERENCES<br />
1. J.R. Hein et al. (2000), Cobalt-rich ferromanganese crusts in the Pacific.<br />
In Handbook of Marine Mineral Deposits, D.S. Cronan (ed.), CRC Press,<br />
Boca Raton, Florida, p. 239-279.<br />
2. J.R. Hein et al. (1)<br />
INTERNATIONAL SEABED AUTHORITY 235
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