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Japan Team Maps 'Semi-Infinite' Trove of Rare Earth Elements (japantimes.co.jp)

Posted by BeauHD on from the hide-and-seek dept.

schwit1 quotes a report from The Japan Times: Japanese researchers have mapped vast reserves of rare earth elements in deep-sea mud, enough to feed global demand on a "semi-infinite basis," according to a new study. The deposit, found within Japan's exclusive economic zone waters, contains more than 16 million tons of the elements needed to build high-tech products ranging from mobile phones to electric vehicles, according to the study, released Tuesday in the journal Scientific Reports. The team, comprised of several universities, businesses and government institutions, surveyed the western Pacific Ocean near Minamitori Island. In a sample area of the mineral-rich region, the team's survey estimated 1.2 million tons of "rare earth oxide" is deposited there, said the study, conducted jointly by Waseda University's Yutaro Takaya and the University of Tokyo's Yasuhiro Kato, among others. The finding extrapolates that a 2,500-sq. km region off the southern Japanese island should contain 16 million tons of the valuable elements, and "has the potential to supply these metals on a semi-infinite basis to the world," the study said.

5 of 162 comments (clear)

  1. "semi-infinite" = bullshit by gweihir · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Either infinite or not. If not infinite, then not "semi-infinite" either. As physical and real, not infinite.

    --
    Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
    1. Re:"semi-infinite" = bullshit by Blymie · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Better to divide by zero, than divide infinity. At least my brain won't explode.

    2. Re:"semi-infinite" = bullshit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      For the next 100 years. Humankind, especially governments and corporations can't seem to see beyond even 20 years so they probably think it's "semi-infinite", but I bet after 50 years of mining, they'll go, "um oops, we are running out."

  2. That sound you hear... by es330td · · Score: 4, Insightful

    is the Chinese leadership lamenting the loss of the pressure point they thought they had to influence the world.

  3. Re:Space Economics by crypticedge · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Environmental control costs raise prices of the ore mined from that mine, thus prices were too low for them to stay in business without poisoning the landscape.

    Thanks for agreeing.