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| Economy |
| Japan breaks China's stranglehold on rare metals with sea-mud bonanza |
| 2013-03-26 |
| Posted by:Uncle Phester |
| #12 Mitch, it seems they precipitate out around undersea volcanic vents (at least some) and there are 10,000s of vents. |
| Posted by: phil_b 2013-03-26 16:44 |
| #11 "Rare earths" are not heavy metals. Well, mostly. Neodymium for example. |
| Posted by: Muggsy Mussolini1226 2013-03-26 13:16 |
| #10 One more thing to blame for earthquakes and tsunamis. |
| Posted by: Perfesser 2013-03-26 10:37 |
| #9 phil, the main islands of Japan are just covered in volcanoes, I'd think if these heavy metals were common around them, the Japanese wouldn't be going to the trouble of deepwater mining out in the middle of nowhere. At least the site is nowhere near either of the Chinas, looks like it's halfway to Wake Island. |
| Posted by: Mitch H. 2013-03-26 10:07 |
| #8 Godzilla isn't going to be happy about this, you mark my words... Oh, he won't mind the mining. Those heavy metals make his skin itch. It is the radioactive dirt from the nuclear plant they backfill it with that he will really hate as that not only makes him itch, but gives him a rash. |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2013-03-26 09:04 |
| #7 Godzilla isn't going to be happy about this, you mark my words... |
| Posted by: Steve White 2013-03-26 07:48 |
| #6 Chicago Sanitary Canal mud, Cuyahoga River mud etc. next up on the mining claims list? |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2013-03-26 07:41 |
| #5 OK, cue the 'anti-seabed' eco-miners. |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2013-03-26 03:53 |
| #4 If they are found around this volcano, then they are probably common around many volcanoes. |
| Posted by: phil_b 2013-03-26 02:20 |
| #3 Yet another maritime thing for China and Japan to fight over? |
| Posted by: SteveS 2013-03-26 00:51 |
| #2 No word on dilithium crystals however. |
| Posted by: USN,Ret. 2013-03-26 00:45 |
| #1 Cool! |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2013-03-26 00:23 |