[B-PT05] [EJ] 地球史解読：冥王代から現代まで

[BPT05-19] The latest research on REY-rich mud in the Pacific Ocean

*加藤 泰浩^1,2,3、中村 謙太郎¹、藤永 公一郎^2,1、安川 和孝^1,2、高谷 雄太郎^4,1、大田 隼一郎^3,1、田中 えりか¹、見邨 和英¹、飯島 耕一^3,1、町田 嗣樹^3,1、野崎 達生^3,1,5、木村 純一³、岩森 光^3,6 (1.東京大学・工学系研究科、2.千葉工業大学・次世代海洋資源研究センター、3.海洋研究開発機構、4.早稲田大学・創造理工学部、5.神戸大学・理学研究科、6.東京工業大学・理学院)

キーワード：海底鉱物資源、レアアース泥、南鳥島、北西太平洋、南太平洋

Deep-sea mud enriched in rare-earth elements and yttrium (REY), termed as REY-rich mud, has been expected as a novel mineral resource for the critical elements. A recent discovery of the extremely REY-rich mud with the maximum total REY content of ~8,000 ppm in the Japanese Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) around Minamitorishima Island makes it realistic to economically develop the highly promising deep-sea mineral resource.
In the presentation, we report the progress of our researches on the REY-rich mud within the Minamitorishima EEZ towards the world’s first development of deep-sea mineral resources. Moreover, we also introduce our latest findings including the basin-wide spatial distribution of the muds with a high resource potential and various genetic components identified in the western North and central to eastern South Pacific REY-rich muds. Our accumulation and integration of the scientific knowledge about deep-sea sediments including REY-rich mud strongly suggest an intrinsic linkage between the formation of deep-sea mineral resources and Earth system dynamics such as climate change, geochemical cycles, and plate tectonics, which can offer new insights into resource geology, oceanography, paleoclimatology, and solid earth science.