Two studies chart new territory for the fledgling deep-sea mining industry through advances in the identification and analysis of seafloor hydrothermal mounds.
seafloor
How Does Sand Move? New Observations Challenge Prevailing Formulas
Research in the Azores finds a discrepancy between field observations of sediment transport and predictions made with commonly used mathematical formulas.
Mapping a River Beneath the Sea
A recent expedition mapped one of the world’s longest submarine channels, revealing previously undiscovered physical features and raising questions about its unusual origin and shape.
An Ambitious Vision for the Future of Scientific Ocean Drilling
Scientific ocean drilling is an enduring paragon of global research, advancing knowledge of Earth and informing scientists and educators for 55 years. A new road map plots the way to further discovery.
Hydrothermal Microbes Can Be Green Energy Producers
In ultramafic, reducing environments, forming microbial proteins can actually release energy.
Ocean Terrain and the Engineering Challenges for Offshore Wind Farms
Deep coastal seabeds, glacial erratics, and other geophysical hurdles stand in the way of offshore wind farm proliferation. Researchers, engineers, and organizations are adapting and inventing ways to harness the breeze.
Forecasting Geohazards in the Age of Gas Hydrate Exploitation
A curious breath-like pattern exhibited by gas hydrates may help forecast hazards associated with extracting them from the seafloor.
Sedimentary Tepees Record Ocean Chemistry
Sedimentary structures from evaporative coastal environments indicate carbonate saturation, offer insight in mid-Mesozoic ocean chemistry and potentially even earlier times.
An Iceberg May Have Initiated a Submarine Landslide
A new study shows that icebergs may initiate submarine landslides when they collide with the seafloor.
Getting to the Bottom of Trawling’s Carbon Emissions
A new model shows that bottom trawling, which stirs up marine sediments as weighted nets scrape the ocean floor, may be releasing more than a billion metric tons of carbon every year.