The basic picture of a deep-sea mining
operation more specifically a nodule
mining operation will involve a surface
operation vessel from that will be
deployed a collector vehicle that will
be down at 4,000 meters and it be
tethered to the surface operation vessel.
Mining of nodules will produce two
different types of plumes.
One is a sediment plume
created by the vehicle removing
the top ten to 15 centimeters of the
seabed
We call that a collector plume. It will
drive around and pick up the nodules.
and they'll be pump back up a riser pipe to
the surface vessel.
and the second type of plume is a
discharge plume which is unwanted
sediment that is brought up to the
surface vessel. It is unwanted I'm needed
And, so would be returned to the ocean.
The question is whether that's returned
as a plume in the mid water column or
back down in the deep ocean.
