Japan Geoscience Union Meeting 2019

Presentation information

[J] Oral

B (Biogeosciences ) » B-CG Complex & General

[B-CG07] Decoding the history of Earth: From Hadean to the present

Wed. May 29, 2019 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM 201A (2F)

convener:Tsuyoshi Komiya(Department of Earth Science & Astronomy Graduate School of Arts and Sciences The University of Tokyo), Yasuhiro Kato(Department of Systems Innovation, Graduate School of Engineering, University of Tokyo), Katsuhiko Suzuki(Research and Development Center for Submarine Resources, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology), Chairperson:Tomohiko Sato(Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology)

10:00 AM - 10:15 AM

[BCG07-05] A general overview of the research progress on REY-rich mud

*Yasuhiro Kato1,2, Kentaro Nakamura1, Koichiro Fujinaga2,1, Kazutaka Yasukawa1,2, Yutaro Takaya3,1,2, Junichiro Ohta2,1, Erika Tanaka1, Kazuhide Mimura1, Koichi Iijima4,1, Shiki Machida2,1, Tatsuo Nozaki4,1,2,5, Jun-Ichi Kimura4, Hikaru Iwamori1,4,6 (1.The University of Tokyo, 2.ORCeNG, Chiba Institute of Technology, 3.Waseda University, 4.JAMSTEC, 5.Kobe University, 6.Tokyo Institute of Technology)

Keywords:seafloor mineral resources, rare-earth elements, REY-rich mud, Minamitorishima Island, Pacific Ocean, deep-sea sediment

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 industrially critical elements [1]. Targeting the Japanese exclusive economic zone around Minamitorishima Island, where highly promising REY-rich mud (total REY content > 5,000 ppm) lies at very shallow depth (2 to 4 m) below the seafloor [2], we have conducted a variety of researches on the mud from both scientific and engineering perspectives.

In the presentation, we report a general overview of the research progress on REY-rich mud, and discuss the importance of the mud from viewpoints of the Japan’s resource security and a new strategy for economic growth.

[1] Kato, Y. et al. (2011) Nature Geoscience 4, 535-539, [2] Iijima, K. et al. (2016) Geochemical Journal 50, 557-573.