Author Question: What are some difficulties that must be overcome before deep-ocean floor mining can take place? What ... (Read 61 times)

jenna1

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 568
What are some difficulties that must be overcome before deep-ocean floor mining can take place? What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

Reclamation bond money is routinely collected from mining companies with the idea that this money
  will insure that the mined areas will be cleaned up and made safe once mining ceases? What actually
  happens when a mining operation goes bankrupt? Who ends up paying the bill? What will be an ideal response?




bigcheese9

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 333
Answer to Question 1

ANS:Apart
from international disputes that might arise over who owns what, there are some technical and
environmental concerns that should be addressed. The physical devices needed to recover ore from the
ocean floor are the stuff of science fiction in the sense that the location is as hostile to humans as outer
space. Submersibles are much like spacecraft. The main question is how to economically transport
ore up through a water column that is many kilometers deep. Environmental concerns center on
pristine and unique life forms that cluster around thermal hot springs on the ocean floor. These are the
same hot springs that concentrate valuable minerals. Mining is a potential threat to these life forms.



Answer to Question 2

In several recent occurrences where companies have filed for bankruptcy, the reclamation bond was
insufficient to cover cleanup costs. Taxpayers ended up paying the bill




Related Topics

Need homework help now?

Ask unlimited questions for free

Ask a Question
 

Did you know?

If all the neurons in the human body were lined up, they would stretch more than 600 miles.

Did you know?

Limit intake of red meat and dairy products made with whole milk. Choose skim milk, low-fat or fat-free dairy products. Limit fried food. Use healthy oils when cooking.

Did you know?

Cocaine was isolated in 1860 and first used as a local anesthetic in 1884. Its first clinical use was by Sigmund Freud to wean a patient from morphine addiction. The fictional character Sherlock Holmes was supposed to be addicted to cocaine by injection.

Did you know?

Pubic lice (crabs) are usually spread through sexual contact. You cannot catch them by using a public toilet.

Did you know?

The average person is easily confused by the terms pharmaceutics and pharmacology, thinking they are one and the same. Whereas pharmaceutics is the science of preparing and dispensing drugs (otherwise known as the science of pharmacy), pharmacology is the study of medications.

For a complete list of videos, visit our video library