A comprehensive approach for a techno-economic assessment of nodule mining in the deep sea

Volkmann, Sebastian Ernst; Kühn, Thomas; Lehnen, Felix

doi:10.1007/s13563-018-0143-1

Cited by 27 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…An analysis of biogeochemical processes confirmed the very low POC fluxes to the seafloor at APEI no. 3 (1 mg C m −2 d −1 ) and found respiration rates that were 2fold lower than in the exploration areas of the mesotrophic zone (Volz et al, 2018). APEI no.…”

Section: Major Forces Driving Local-and Regional-scale Patterns In Comentioning

confidence: 85%

“…APEI no. 3 was also characterized by higher clay content, which may be caused by lower sedimentation rate and a different sedimentation regime (Hauquier et al, 2019;Volz et al, 2018). Polychaete assemblages in APEI no.…”

Section: Major Forces Driving Local-and Regional-scale Patterns In Comentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Environmental data were compiled from Hauquier et al (2019) and Volz et al (2018). Sediment samples were collected with a multi-corer or a gravity corer during the same cruise and in the same areas (see Martínez Arbizu and Haeckel, 2015 for details).…”

Section: Environmental Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Nodules were weighed onboard for each box-core sample to calculate nodule density (kg m −2 ; Table 1). Particulate organic carbon flux (POC, mg C m −2 d −1 ) at the seafloor for our studied areas (eastern CCFZ) were provided by Volz et al (2018). At the northeastern (NE)-Pacific-Basin scale, POC flux (mg C m −2 d −1 ) at the seafloor was approximated using net surface primary production provided by the ocean productivity site (Westberry et al, 2008) averaged over the years 2002 to 2018 and applying the Suess algorithm (POC at the seafloor as a function of the net primary production scaled by depth; Suess, 1980; Table 2).…”

Section: Environmental Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Abundance, richness and nodule density per box core are shown in (a) and average biotic and abiotic variables per area are shown in (b). Eastern POC values provided byVolz et al (2018); NE Pacific POC values were estimated in the present study. * indicates p < 0.05, * * " p < 0.01 and * * * p < 0.001.…”

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Alpha and beta diversity patterns of polychaete assemblages across the nodule province of the eastern Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zone (equatorial Pacific)

2020

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Abstract. In the abyssal equatorial Pacific Ocean, most of the seafloor of the Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zone (CCFZ), a 6 million km2 polymetallic nodule province, has been preempted for future mining. In light of the large environmental footprint that mining would leave and given the diversity and the vulnerability of the abyssal fauna, the International Seabed Authority has implemented a regional management plan that includes the creation of nine Areas of Particular Environmental Interest (APEIs) located at the periphery of the CCFZ. The scientific principles for the design of the APEIs were based on the best – albeit very limited – knowledge of the area. The fauna and habitats in the APEIs are unknown, as are species' ranges and the extent of biodiversity across the CCFZ. As part of the Joint Programming Initiative Healthy and Productive Seas and Oceans (JPI Oceans) pilot action “Ecological aspects of deep-sea mining”, the SO239 cruise provided data to improve species inventories, determine species ranges, identify the drivers of beta diversity patterns and assess the representativeness of an APEI. Four exploration contract areas and an APEI (APEI no. 3) were sampled along a gradient of sea surface primary productivity that spanned a distance of 1440 km in the eastern CCFZ. Between three and eight quantitative box cores (0.25 m2; 0–10 cm) were sampled in each study area, resulting in a large collection of polychaetes that were morphologically and molecularly (cytochrome c oxidase subunit I and 16S genes) analyzed. A total of 275 polychaete morphospecies were identified. Only one morphospecies was shared among all five study areas and 49 % were singletons. The patterns in community structure and composition were mainly attributed to variations in organic carbon fluxes to the seafloor at the regional scale and nodule density at the local scale, thus supporting the main assumptions underlying the design of the APEIs. However, the APEI no. 3, which is located in an oligotrophic province and separated from the CCFZ by the Clarion Fracture Zone, showed the lowest densities, lowest diversity, and a very low and distant independent similarity in community composition compared to the contract areas, thus questioning the representativeness and the appropriateness of APEI no. 3 to meet its purpose of diversity preservation. Among the four exploration contracts, which belong to a mesotrophic province, the distance decay of similarity provided a species turnover of 0.04 species km−1, an average species range of 25 km and an extrapolated richness of up to 240 000 polychaete species in the CCFZ. By contrast, nonparametric estimators of diversity predict a regional richness of up to 498 species. Both estimates are biased by the high frequency of singletons in the dataset, which likely result from under-sampling and merely reflect our level of uncertainty. The assessment of potential risks and scales of biodiversity loss due to nodule mining thus requires an appropriate inventory of species richness in the CCFZ.

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Section: Major Forces Driving Local-and Regional-scale Patterns In Comentioning

confidence: 85%

Section: Major Forces Driving Local-and Regional-scale Patterns In Comentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Environmental Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Environmental Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

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Alpha and beta diversity patterns of polychaete assemblages across the nodule province of the eastern Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zone (equatorial Pacific)

2020

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Effect of Particle Factors on the Reflux and Blockage of a Deep‐Sea Six‐Stage Pump Based on CFD‐DEM

Hu,

Zhu,

Deng

et al. 2023

Advcd Theory and Sims

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The deep‐sea six‐stage centrifugal pump is an essential power source of the lifting system that conveys slurry containing coarse particles. Emergency failure of the electric system can easily lead to pump blockage because of slurry reflux. The reflux movement of particles in a six‐stage pump under emergency power failure is investigated using the verified computation fluid dynamics and discrete element method (CFD‐DEM) simulation. The JKR contact model is used to perform particle simulation. Simultaneously, shaped particles are added to realistically simulate the reflux characteristics under deep‐sea mining conditions. The effect of particle size, shape, and size distribution in the reflux is investigated. The blockage behavior of the particles during reflux and the blockage mechanism is clarified. Particles with less shape and size below 30 mm are more conducive to safe slurry transportation. The experimental results verify the credibility of the CFD‐DEM simulation results.

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Review of Mining Rates, Environmental Impacts, Metal Values, and Investments for Polymetallic Nodule Mining

Sharma

Mustafina

Cherkashov

2019

Environmental Issues of Deep-Sea Mining

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A comprehensive approach for a techno-economic assessment of nodule mining in the deep sea

Cited by 27 publications

References 33 publications

Alpha and beta diversity patterns of polychaete assemblages across the nodule province of the eastern Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zone (equatorial Pacific)

Alpha and beta diversity patterns of polychaete assemblages across the nodule province of the eastern Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zone (equatorial Pacific)

Effect of Particle Factors on the Reflux and Blockage of a Deep‐Sea Six‐Stage Pump Based on CFD‐DEM

Review of Mining Rates, Environmental Impacts, Metal Values, and Investments for Polymetallic Nodule Mining

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