Mineral Resource Studies

Our objective is to improve understanding of the geological, geophysical, and geochemical characteristics of nearshore and offshore mineral deposits, the geological systems in which the deposits form, and the processes and chemical fluxes that lead to mineral concentrations. Three subgroups of deposits are considered:

• sand, gravel, and heavy mineral concentrates formed in coastal and shelf settings by sedimentary processes
• phosphorites and iron-manganese crusts formed in continental shelf, margin, and deep-ocean settings by low-temperature chemical processes
• polymetallic sulfide and oxide depostis formed at oceanic rift zones, island arcs, and mid-plate volcanoes by high-temperature, hydrothermal processes

Areas of study, past and present, include:

• Pacific EEZ Minerals
• Global Inventory of Gas Hydrates
• Monterey Bay Hydrocarbon Studies
• Gorda Ridge Hydrothermal System

Key factors for establishing priorities vary with the type of deposit and include:

• need for the resource or likelihood of development
• potential size of deposits
• suitability of site to study processes of formation
• opportunity for collaboration