A study by Andrew Sweetman and his team of researchers from Heriot-Watt University published on July 22, 2024, in Nature Geoscience citing evidence that polymetallic nodules produce oxygen – what Sweetman terms “dark oxygen.” Analysis of this report under “news and commentary” on COMRC ihttps://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-024-01480-8nk
A study published in Sciences Advances on April 4, 2024 argues that one-third of great apes in Africa are at risk due to mining – particularly due to mining for critical energy minerals. Published study link is found here.
Bryan J. Omalley, Jayden Hyman, Patrick Schwing, Leigh Marsh. UMC 2023 (pp. 1-66). Rotterdam: Eckerd College.
M. G. Macklin , C. J. Thomas , A. Mudbhatkal , P. A. Brewer , K. A. Hudson-Edwards , J. Lewin , P. Scussolini , D. Eilander , A. Lechner , J. Owen , G. Bird, D. Kemp, and K. R. Mangalaa Abstract An estimated 23 million people live on floodplains affected by potentially dangerous concentrations of toxic waste derived from past and present metal mining activity. We analyzed the global dimensions of this hazard, particularly in regard to lead, zinc, copper, and arsenic, using a georeferenced global database detailing … Read more
Joris H. Wiethase, Erik Simon-Lledó, Aidan M. Emery, Daniel O.B. Jones, Thomas G. Dahlgren, Guadalupe Bribiesca-Contreras, Helena Wiklund, Tammy Horton, and Adrian G. Glover Abstract The global surge in demand for metals such as cobalt and nickel has created unprecedented interest in deepsea habitats with mineral resources. The largest area of activity is a 6 … Read more
Daina Paulikas, Steven Katona, Erika Ilves, Saleem H. Ali Abstract To meet UN Sustainable Development goals, a clean-energy transition with minimal ecological impact from its raw-material supply chain is essential. Polymetallic nodules lying unattached on the abyssal seafloor of the Pacific Ocean’s Clarion Clipperton Zone contain four critical metals (nickel, cobalt, manganese, copper) in large quantities, and the … Read more
Abstract The Metals Company (TMC) has commissioned Benchmark Minerals Intelligence (Benchmark) to model the environmental performance ofproducing critical minerals from polymetallic nodules found on the seafloor of the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ), in the Pacific Ocean.This is a three-part study: This attributional LCA is third party verified and ISO compliant under ISO standards 14040 & 14044. … Read more
Carlos Muñoz-Royo, Raphael Ouillon, Souha El Mousadik, Matthew H. Alford, AND Thomas Peacock Abstract An in situ study to investigate the dynamics of sediment plumes near the release from a deep seabed polymetallic nodule mining preprototype collector vehicle was conducted in the Clarion Clipperton Zone in the Pacific Ocean 4500-m deep. The experiments reveal that the excess density of the released sediment-laden water leads … Read more
Gerald McCormack, Natural Heritage Trust Abstract In an article concerning the possibility of seabed nodule mining in the Cook Islands (Cook Islands News 27 March), Te Ipukarea Society wrote “We are confident that further research will show that the goods and services that the ocean provides humanity are actually worth many times more than what … Read more
CLIMATE-SMART MINING FACILITY: Kirsten Hund, Daniele La Porta, Thao P. Fabregas, Tim Laing, John Drexhage Key Points A low-carbon future will be very mineral intensive because clean energy technologies need more materials than fossil-fuel-based electricity generation technologies. Greater ambition on climate change goals (1.50C–20C or below), as outlined by the Paris Agreement,requires installing more of … Read more