Seafloor Mineralization

Objective: Hydrothermal vent systems host seafloor massive sulfide (SMS) deposits that are typically rich in copper, zinc, gold, and silver. The primary scientific objective of a Working Group on Seafloor Mineralization would be to examine SMS deposit distribution, maturation and evolution and to investigate the processes (biological, chemical, geological) that are responsible for their formation and preservation. A sound scientific base of knowledge would both advance science but also inform the commercial and political world of the importance of these multi-faceted resources and encourage responsible development.

Chair - Maurice Tivey (WHOI, USA)
Group Members - Fernando Barriga (Portugal), Georgy Cherkashov (Russia), Yves Fouquet (France), Mark Hannington (Canada), Yasuhiro Kato (Japan), Jonguk Kim (Korea), Lisa Levin (USA), Rachel Mills (UK), K. A. Kamesh Raju (India), Xuefa Shi (China), Ingunn Thorseth (Norway), and Cindy Van Dover (USA)

(Working Group formed in 2008)

News flash from Seafloor Mineralization WG: articles in Oceanus and Mining Environmental Management magazines

Posted November 30th, 2009 by Coordinator

News

The InterRidge Working Group for Seafloor Mineralization is mentioned in two recent magazine articles:
- Oceanus magazine, 20 November 2009:
"The Promise and Perils of Seafloor Mining," by Lisa Drew, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
- Mining Environmental Management magazine, October 2009:

"Race to the Ridges" article in Marine Technology Reporter

Posted October 27th, 2009 by Coordinator

News
Science

"Race to the Ridges," an article in the Sept. 2009 issue of Marine Technology Reporter, highlights the workshop on deep-sea mining of seafloor massive sulfides that was convened earlier this year by the InterRidge Working Group on Seafloor Mineralization.
To access the PDF of this magazine issue, please go to:
http://former.seadiscovery.com/MTIssues/mt200909o2.pdf
To access the e-book, please go to:
http://dwp.marinelink.com/pubs/nwm/mt/200909/

2008 Update

Posted October 23rd, 2009 by Coordinator

Science

Seafloor Mineralization
Working Group Update 2008
M. Tivey, Working Group Chair

Scientific questions and recommendations from the InterRidge Seafloor Mineralization Working Group

Posted May 22nd, 2009 by Coordinator

The InterRidge Working Group on Seafloor Mineralization (SMWG) has developed three groups of questions and recommendations to advance the scientific knowledge of seafloor massive sulfide (SMS) deposits:
What are the spatial controls on hydrothermal activity and SMS deposition?
What are the timescales for the evolution of SMS deposits?
What are the changes in biological communities that occur during the evolution of an SMS deposit?
Recommendations range from developing a list of criteria to quantify the extent of activity at a hydrothermal vent site, to using cutting‐edge technology to locate and characterize inactive deposits, to encouraging biological studies of inactive and extinct SMS deposits.
PDF file: InterRidge Seafloor Mineralization Working Group - 2009 Meeting Report