•1 min read•from oceanography: things about the sea
I built an interactive 3D map of every deep-sea mining concession + hydrothermal vents, seamounts, and real-time Argo float data
Our take
I have developed an interactive 3D map that visualizes every deep-sea mining concession, hydrothermal vent, and seamount, integrating real-time Argo float data. The International Seabed Authority has issued exploration and exploitation contracts across the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans, yet there has been no effective way to visualize their locations, overlaps with ecosystems, or potential sediment plume drift from mining activities. This comprehensive map includes all ISA contracts, 721 known hydrothermal vent fields, and 19,617 seamounts, utilizing open-source data for transparency and accessibility.
The International Seabed Authority has granted exploration and exploitation contracts across the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans. There's no easy way to visualise where they are, how they overlap with ecosystems, or how plumes from mining would drift.
So I mapped it: https://something-rare.com
Every ISA contract plotted (with contractor, date, area)
721 known hydrothermal vent fields overlaid
19,617 seamounts
Real-time Argo float positions (ocean current data)
Sediment plume drift modelling from Copernicus data
All open source. Happy to answer questions.
[link] [comments]
Read on the original site
Open the publisher's page for the full experience