Indian Ocean for the first time found that high concentrations of rare earths
Japanese researchers announced on the 19th, they found in the eastern Indian Ocean sea mud on the seabed containing high concentrations of rare earths. This is the first time outside of the Pacific waters found to contain rare earth mud on the seabed, which proves that the rare earth in global ocean widely distributed.
Rare earths are essential to high-tech materials a resource. Kato, a professor at the university of Tokyo, Japan, Thai, led the research team, in the Pacific Ocean near the Japan last year found that contain rare earth mud on the seabed. The discovery of the rare earth site is located in the Indian Ocean, about 1000 km west of Jakarta, Indonesia, not far away from Australia's cocos islands.
Researchers through the analysis of the drilling mud on the seabed samples, found in the depth of about 5600 meters below the sea floor between 75 and 120 meters, there is mud containing rare earth, the highest concentration of 1113 PPM (parts) than the concentration, the average concentration of around 700 PPM.
Compared with the Pacific, the location the location of the existence of rare earth, the deeper exploitation more difficult. The concentration of rare earth and rare earth concentration of the Pacific Ocean are similar, is several times as much land deposit in China, especially the rare dysprosium etc. It is rich in rare earth elements.
The researchers believe that the central ridge spewing materials such as iron oxide can absorb the rare earths in sea water and piling up in nearby, the discovery of rare earths is formed due to the activities of the central ridge in the Indian Ocean. Ridge, also known as seamounts, located in the central part of the ocean ridge, is called the central ridge.
Kato tai hao said: "this shows that contain rare earth mud on the seabed is not unique to the Pacific, is significant. Other areas may also be found to develop rare earth deposit."
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