Deep Sea Rare Earth Discovery

$26B in rare earth nuggets sitting on the sea floor off the coast of Japan

this is political as it provides additional resources to help offset the chinese stranglehold on rare earth materials. don't think most people realize how much China has restricted exports and how much it's costing us

Japan Discovers Massive Treasure Trove Worth Over $26B, Enough to Support The Economy For Years

Japan has made a groundbreaking discovery: a vast reserve of rare materials valued at over $26 billion. This monumental find promises to bolster the country's economy and position it as a key player in the global rare-earth market. The materials, critical for cutting-edge technology, were located in the deep waters around the Minami-Tori-shima island. Here's how this discovery could reshape Japan's economic landscape and its role in the tech industry.

Japanese researchers, supported by the Nippon Foundation, uncovered over 230 million tons of rare materials during a survey of over 100 sites on the seabed, some as deep as 5,200 meters. These deposits include manganese, cobalt, and nickel, crucial components for the production of lithium-ion batteries and other high-tech applications. The survey area spans 10,000 square kilometers, revealing a dense field of "easily minable" manganese nodules, making extraction feasible and efficient.
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The reserves include 610,000 tons of cobalt and 740,000 tons of nickel. This supply is enough to meet Japan's domestic demand for cobalt for 75 years and nickel for 11 years. This stockpile ensures Japan's ability to support its technology and manufacturing sectors without external dependency.
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The discovery positions Japan as a competitive player in the rare-earth market. This could alter the geopolitical landscape, reducing China's monopoly over these critical materials. It also opens doors for Japan to lead innovation in electric vehicles, renewable energy technologies, and advanced electronics, enhancing its global influence in the tech industry.

 

als in parts of the Pacific Ocean.

these particular find near japan seems to be cleaner, easier pickings than anything else I can recall and in territorial waters of a major importer

Sadly, the USA is one of the only industrialized nations nto engaged in setting up the rules for deep sea mining in intl waters

AI overview...

The United States is the only major global economy that is not a member of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) and is not involved in deep sea mining laws. This is because the U.S. has not ratified the United Nations' Law of the Sea Treaty, which established the ISA. Some Republican senators have said that the treaty undermines American power.

The ISA is an authority that authorizes international seabed exploration and mining. The ISA is made up of 167 member nations, plus the European Union. China is currently the leading country in terms of contracts for permitted deep sea mining exploration.

Some governments have voted to ban deep-sea mining in their own waters, including New South Wales, New Caledonia, and several US states and territories. However, other states, including India, China, and Norway, are still in favor of deep-sea mining.

Conservationists are concerned that deep-sea mining could damage ecosystems, especially without environmental protocols.