Japan has identified a vast deposit of
rare earth elements nearly 6,000 metres beneath the Pacific Ocean near
Minamitorishima island
¨
Japan has identified a
vast deposit of rare earth elements nearly 6,000 metres beneath the Pacific
Ocean near Minamitorishima island.
¨
The discovery, described
as a “rare earth giant,” could significantly reshape global resource security
by providing a long-term supply of critical minerals essential for modern
technologies.
Scale and Composition of the Discovery
¨
The deposit contains over
16 million tonnes of rare earth-rich mud, including key elements such as
yttrium and dysprosium. These materials are crucial for manufacturing
high-performance magnets used in electric vehicles, wind turbines and advanced
electronics.
¨
Estimates suggest that
the deposit could meet global demand for some of these elements for up to 700
years.
Technological Breakthrough in Extraction
¨ The discovery was made by researchers from the University of Tokyo using the advanced deep-sea drilling vessel Chikyu. Specialised drilling techniques, including a riser pipe system, enabled the extraction of mineral-rich sediments from extreme ocean depths, where pressure is nearly 600 times that at sea level. Successful test extractions have already been conducted.
