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Minerals Report - International Seabed Authority

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Dr. Herzig informed participants of techniques and tools for taking<br />

samples of sediment and hard rocks in prospective areas.<br />

Among other things, he said that information obtained through<br />

sediments could be used to determine the proximity of hydrothermal sites.<br />

He pointed out the many ways of taking sediment samples; piston corers,<br />

spade corers, box corers etc.<br />

For collecting rock (non-sediment) samples, Dr. Herzig suggested two<br />

methods. These were dredging and TV guided grabs.<br />

In relation to dredging, Dr. Herzig recalled Dr. Hein’s presentation<br />

and said that the range of dredges included barrel dredges, box dredges, and<br />

chain bag dredges for various purposes. He showed participants how a<br />

conventional chain bag dredge is configured and used to recover either rocks<br />

or massive sulphides.<br />

Dr. Herzig however said that the more elegant approach to sampling<br />

is with the TV guided grab. He informed participants that this system was<br />

developed by PREUSSAG a few years ago, for the Galapagos Rift Exploration<br />

Programme for massive sulphides.<br />

Through slides, Dr. Herzig demonstrated how the system operates and<br />

the advantages that it provides the researcher/explorer in the search for<br />

hydrothermal vent sites. Dr. Herzig said that the grab shown in the slide<br />

could hold up to 3 tonnes of sulphides or rocks. At the centre of the grab, Dr.<br />

Herzig showed a TV camera and a number of lights. He explained that with<br />

this system, as the grab is lowered to the seafloor with open claws, small areas<br />

of the seafloor could be mapped in detail.<br />

Dr. Herzig informed the participants of the flexibility of this system for<br />

selecting samples. He said that a sample could be selected and rejected from<br />

the control room of the vessel because the claws of the grab could be opened<br />

and closed depending on the life of the deep-sea batteries used in this<br />

mechanism. He described the TV guided grab as an excellent system for<br />

sampling, for the selection of samples and for mapping. With regard to the<br />

claw type dredge, Dr. Herzig said that an entire chimney had been recovered<br />

INTERNATIONAL SEABED AUTHORITY 321

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