Metallic Rocks That Companies Want to Mine Produce Tons of Oxygen in the Ocean

Hello and welcome! My name is Anton and in this video, we will talk about an incredible discovery of metallic rocks on the bottom of the ocean that seem to be responsible for a lot of oxygen on the planet
Links:
#nodules #deepseamining #earth

0:00 Intro
0:35 Manganese nodules
2:00 1980s attempt to mine them
4:10 Results of mining
5:00 Production of oxygen by nodules
6:50 How they make oxygen
8:00 Biodiversity and dangers of mining
8:35 Origin of life implications
10:30 Conclusions

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[edwardgobbo]

The oddest fact was the study that showed that after ocean mining, after it was over, (and they only removed metals), the area became a virtual desert for decades, and even microbial life was not fully sustained. These systems are more complex than out greed for the metals either understands or cares about.

[jasonxoc]

If any other channel had that title / thumbnail, I wouldn’t have trusted it.

[TheSkubna]

'shortage' of lithium, as thousands of pounds of it gets thrown away as vapes, every day

[stayfrosty]

Very interesting as usual! No clickbaits, no illogical thumbnails, just pure and simple data!

[chicojcf]

Oxygen output not requiring photosynthesis, fantastic find.

[steveatkinson]

Some of us have been raising awareness on this for years. They rake the sea floor near the vents that are basically underwater cities for sea fauna.

[danlhendl]

They shouldn’t mess with those rocks, man.

[tonydagostino]

The oldest oceanic crust on the planet is Early to Mid Jurassic in age, approximately 200 million years old. It is poised to enter the subduction zone off the Kamchatka Peninsula in the northwestern Pacific. All the sea floor areas with nodules must be forming them on crust younger than that

[ScurvyDawg]

We still learn something new every single day about our planet. We need to tread lighly.

[gypsy]

Wow, we really need to get this information out there to the general public! They start mining this, it will cause major catastrophes!😮

[galenicalhoover]

I'm 65 and recall reading about these nodules back in the 1970's.

[DavidLayM]

I think this also brings up the increased likelihood of life in moons and ice planets with deep oceans... the whole concept that the building blocks of life can be present by a huge variety of means. I think is very hopeful.
What is not hopeful, is the constant search for profit without any responsibility to its externalities. Polluting, mining and in general any other transformation or harvesting of natural resources should always have included the cost of reparation of the damage included, making impossible to profit from activities that do more damage than good. I know is not that simple and just an ideal but why are we not considering the incentives to the general world instead of just local cost/price analysis?

[phoenixx]

This tells me two things:
1: this explains the discrepancy between flora biome sizes and oxygen levels in our atmosphere
2: that even if we burnt every forest on the planet, (eg asteroid strike) in a few hundred thousand to million of years, the oxygen would build up enough for life to emerge again, explaining weird gas levels recorded in core samples going back millions of years.

[d-.-axx]

I love the consistency and definitely appreciate your fully-informed background, in EVERY topic!

You da best.

Keep it up Anton 👊😀

[Sanchez-ir]

The more I learn about this planet, a lot of it from you Anton, the more it amazes me.

[leohorishny]

Yeah, let’s remove a major source of environmental oxygenation in the oceans. What could go wrong? We mine terrestrial minerals so holistically and without consequence.🙄

[CaveNJ]

It occurred to me while you were talking about the evolution of life— 1) the idea that life had access to oxygen at the bottom of the ocean is seriously game changing when it comes to how we tell the story of early life. This may well rewrite the textbooks in ways we may not expect. 2) Some of the theories on the origin of life involve lightning and chemical soup, which is being served hot and fresh by the midocean ridges all the time, so it's possible that their voltage phenomenon had something to do with the origins of life itself. It makes more sense to me than lightning striking some weird tidal pool.

[montyskeetch]

In the year 2087, the race for deep-sea resources was at its peak, driven by corporate greed and relentless competition. A mobile intensive mining unit, the Titan, descended into the dark depths of the ocean, its hull illuminated by harsh floodlights that cut through the blackness. Onboard, the crew was a mix of technicians, engineers, and overseers, their focus sharply on maximizing output rather than on environmental considerations. The unit’s advanced sensors and machinery were designed with one goal in mind: to extract as many nodules as possible, regardless of the cost.

At a depth of 3 kilometers, the Titan began its operations with a thunderous rumble. The unit’s high-powered drilling equipment and hydraulic arms worked in unison, tearing into the ocean floor to unearth valuable polymetallic nodules. The sediment plumes churned by the extraction process spread far beyond the immediate area, smothering nearby habitats in a cloud of silt.

The mining was relentless. The Titan's robotic arms, though precise, moved with a brutal efficiency. Nodules were snatched from the seabed and dumped into the unit’s extraction chambers with little regard for the surrounding ecosystem. Critical environmental data was collected but often ignored, as the pressure from upper management demanded ever-increasing yields.

Orion Extractions Inc. faced fierce competition from rival corporations, each vying to corner the market on these precious resources. The scarcity of deep-sea nodules, driven by both their rarity and the high demand, fueled a cutthroat environment where corners were cut and regulations were overlooked. The Titan's operations were part of a high-stakes game where the only rule was to stay ahead of the competition at any cost.

Onboard, the monitors flashed warnings of escalating turbidity and rising levels of toxic heavy metals. However, these warnings were routinely overridden or ignored. The emphasis was on meeting quotas and deadlines, with any potential long-term consequences brushed aside in favor of short-term gains.

The deep-sea environment was paying the price. Microbial communities were being wiped out by the sediment plumes, and the benthic fauna, from small invertebrates to larger creatures like giant squid, faced habitat destruction and poisoning from toxic runoff. Reports of declining biodiversity were dismissed as exaggerations by those who saw profit margins and shareholder returns as more pressing concerns.

Corporate espionage further exacerbated the situation. Rival companies often sabotaged each other's operations, from hacking into data feeds to tampering with equipment, all in a bid to gain a competitive edge. These actions not only heightened the environmental impact but also led to frequent accidents and spills.

When the Titan's mission was completed, it surfaced with its holds filled with valuable nodules, which were swiftly transferred to surface processing ships. The data collected, including environmental impact reports, was often manipulated to downplay the damage and satisfy regulatory requirements without disrupting profits.

Back on land, the mining conglomerates reaped the rewards of their ruthless efficiency. The processed metals were sold at premium prices, fueling a cycle of increasing demand and environmental degradation. The deep-sea world continued to suffer in silence, a casualty of human ambition and corporate greed.

[InsanityRerun]

I remember reading about these when they were entertaining the idea of running those massive scoops along the ocean floor years ago.

[gweebara]

Incredibly detailed and well reasoned argument to not disturb the ocean floor and destroy those environments