The Dawning of Deep Sea Mining of Metallic Sulfides: The Geologic Perspective

摘要

Hot springs (“black smokers”) on the deep ocean floor are accumulating economic concentrations of copper, zinc, lead and silver sulfides, together with gold. Mining of these deposits is on the verge of becoming a reality, driven by the ever increasing need for raw resources, especially copper. Two entrepreneurial companies have exploration licenses covering vast areas of the seabed in the western Pacific targeting seafloor massive sulfide deposits. A third company is being established. Technological and financial challenges for recovery of seafloor sulfide deposits are not insurmountable and mining these may be less environmentally deleterious than mining on land.