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METAL RESOURCES OF DEEP SEA NODULES
Author(s) -
ODUNTON NII ALLOTEY
Publication year - 1977
Publication title -
natural resources forum
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.646
H-Index - 49
eISSN - 1477-8947
pISSN - 0165-0203
DOI - 10.1111/j.1477-8947.1977.tb00067.x
Subject(s) - mineral resource classification , frontier , resource (disambiguation) , deep sea , earth science , nodule (geology) , oceanography , geology , environmental resource management , environmental science , geochemistry , geography , computer science , archaeology , computer network , paleontology
The deep ocean floor represents the latest frontier of knowledge about global mineral resources. The ocean environment poses unique problems for mineral resource development ‐ problems of resource assessment, adaptation of mining technology, and management of resources common to all of mankind. In the first of three related articles on the mineral resources of the ocean, Mr. Odunton assesses the current state of knowledge about the nature and extent of marigenous minerals. He examines the processes of formation, the composition, and the regional distribution of ferromanganese nodules, which represent the most promising of these minerals at present. Attention is also given to the considerations involved in the location, evaluation and exploitation of nodule deposits. Future articles will review ocean mining technology and the economic and policy issues involved in the development of ocean mineral resources.