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Deep Sea Mining

Deep sea mining involves extracting minerals from the ocean floor at depths of 1,400-3,700 meters below the surface. While deep sea mining has occurred since 1960, the environmental impacts of large-scale mining are still unknown. Sediment plumes from mining tailings could significantly impact the ocean by disturbing the seabed and spreading over vast areas through water currents. International law regulates deep sea mining through the International Seabed Authority, which oversees mining ventures outside nations' economic zones.

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Minh Nguyen
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188 views5 pages

Deep Sea Mining

Deep sea mining involves extracting minerals from the ocean floor at depths of 1,400-3,700 meters below the surface. While deep sea mining has occurred since 1960, the environmental impacts of large-scale mining are still unknown. Sediment plumes from mining tailings could significantly impact the ocean by disturbing the seabed and spreading over vast areas through water currents. International law regulates deep sea mining through the International Seabed Authority, which oversees mining ventures outside nations' economic zones.

Uploaded by

Minh Nguyen
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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DEEP SEA MINING

Deep sea mining is a


relatively new mineral
retrieval process that takes
place on the ocean floor.
Ocean mining sites are
usually around large areas of
poly-metallic nodules or
active and extinct
hydrothermal vents at about
1,400 - 3,700 m below the
oceans surface.
Since 1960, deep sea mining
has been developed and has
had certain achievements.

DEEP SEA MINING


ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
Because deep sea mining is a
relatively new field, the
complete consequences of full
scale mining operations are
unknown.
However, some researchers
have said they believe that
removal of parts of the sea floor
will result in disturbances to the
benthic layer, increased toxicity
of the water column and
sediment plumes from tailings.

DEEP SEA MINING


ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
Among the impacts of deep sea
mining, sediment plumes could
have the greatest impact.
Two types of plumes occur: near
bottom plumes and surface
plumes.
. Near bottom plumes occur when
the tailings are pumped back down
to the mining site
Surface plumes cause a more
serious problem. Depending on the
size of the particles and water
currents the plumes could spread
over vast areas

DEEP SEA MINING


NOTES ON LAW ENFORCEMENT ON
DEEP SEA MINING
The international lawbased
regulations on deep sea mining are
contained in the United Nations
Conventions on the Law of the Sea
UNCLOS from 1973 to 1982, which
came into force in 1994
The convention set up the
International Seabed Authority
(ISA), which regulates nations deep
sea mining ventures outside each
nations Exclusive Economic Zone
EEZ (a 200-nautical-mile (370 km)
area surrounding coastal nations).

DEEP SEA MINING


DEEP SEA MINING SUMMIT
2015
New way to improvise the
solution for deep sea mining
between nations
Its objective is to build on and
identify new and innovative
technology developments,
technical know-hows, and to
focus on the real challenges
which face a new breed of
deep sea miners and industry
providers.

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