The Indian government has chosen to begin the Deep Ocean Mission - DOM, with the goal of exploring our country's marine richness, which is now untapped. The Ministry of Earth Sciences will be in charge of this massive undertaking (MoES).
The government hopes to use this project to explore the undersea environment in the same way that ISRO explores space. The Deep Ocean Mission and its relevance for the country will be discussed in depth in this article.
Candidates studying for the next IAS exam should carefully examine the mission's important elements, as questions based on them may be asked in the GS 3 paper's Science and Technology section.
Deep Ocean Mission [UPSC Notes]:-Download PDF Here
About the Deep Ocean Mission
- The mission was placed under conditions similar to those of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) which conducts space research
- However, the Indian Deep Ocean mission will focus only on research and exploration. living things
- Human and mechanical forces will be used for mission
- Missions such as deep seabed mining, energy exploration, found object study and sea desalination will be strictly implemented
- The technological developments carried out for the Deep Ocean mission will be funded by the Government Program “Ocean Services, Technology, Observation, Resource Modeling and Science (O-SMART)”
- Ocean Climate Change Learning and Research and Advisory Services More will be done as part of this mission
- Will also focus on underwater technologies to facilitate research
- Two key projects have been c included in Deep Ocean Mission
- A P Lant
- submersible desalination vehicle, which can explore depths up to 'at 6000 meters
- Unexplored, hidden and unexplored parts of the ocean will be to utes covered in this mission.
- This is a central area map.
- The main objectives of the Deep Ocean mission are as follows:
- Develop technology for deep sea mining, underwater vehicles and underwater robotics;
- Development of advisory services on ocean climate change;
- Technological innovation for the exploration and conservation of the biodiversity of the deep seabed;
- Research and exploration of the deep seabed;
- Freshwater and Ocean Energy Proof of Concept Studies; and
- Creation of an advanced marine station for ocean biology
Significance of Deep Ocean Mission
India would be able to build capacity to utilise resources in the Central Indian Ocean Basin thanks to the Deep Ocean Mission plan (CIOB).
The mining and extraction of polymetallic nodules is one of the project's main goals (PMN). India has been given 75000 square kilometres in the CIOB by the UN International SeaBed Authority for the discovery of these polymetallic nodules.
What are Polymetallic Nodules (PMN)?
- Polymetallic nodules are deposits of Fe-Mn oxide
- They are potato-shaped and porous
- Appearance, they are ocher in color
- Size is 2-10 cm in diameter
- PMN is considered a precipitate of liquid heat from the magma heats up from deep inside the oceanic crust, rejected by mineralization pathways
- These rare earth minerals are considered a great source of valuable minerals such as gold, silver and zinc
Where can PMN be mined?
There are particular underwater sites where polymetallic nodule mining is possible. Any country that wants to mine PMN must first obtain permission from the International Seabed Authority (ISA), which was formed under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
- The 75,000 square meter underwater area of the area has been allocated to India, where mining can be carried out
- In 1987 India was granted its status as a `` pioneer investor '' and was the first country to be recognized with this status. After that, it was allocated an area of 1.5 thousand square kilometers to the mine of PMN
- In 2002, ISA carried out a resource analysis and allocated an area of 75,000 square kilometers to India
- According to a study by the Ministry of Earth Sciences, the following conclusion can be drawn
- As per the research done by the Ministry of Earth Science, the following conclusion can be drawn:Potential polymetallic nodules which can be found – 880 MT (approximately)
- Nickel – 4.7 MT (approximately)
- Magnesium – 92.59 MT (approximately)
- Copper – 4.29 MT (approximately)
- Cobalt – 0.55 MT (approximately)
What is the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)
The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) defines a zone in the sea over which a country has specific rights to explore for marine resources.
India has a 2.37 million square kilometre Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), the most of which is untapped and undeveloped.
Other Countries Exploring Underwater Features
In addition to the Central Indian Ocean Basin (CIOB), PMN has also been detected in the Central Pacific. This is also known as the Clarion-Clipperton area.
Key countries including China, France, Germany, Japan, Korea and Russia are on the list of countries that have contracted with ISA to probe multi-needle nodules.
This list is not limited to only major countries, but there are also a number of island nations that have already begun exploring PMNs, for example Kiribati, an independent country in the central Pacific Ocean.
Impact of Deep Ocean Mission on the Environment
- Environmentalists have underlined the great concern over the exploitation of the ocean which is being done in various countries. The biggest concern is that since the area is unexplored, the consequences cannot be assumed.
- The sediment plumes that can form after mining and that oil spills can cause are another source of concern.
- However, India appears to be positive with its research, as major discoveries can be made once the mission takes off and research begins. One of the most important of these is the fact that due to the very low temperatures in the depths of the ocean, many species will be found capable of surviving extreme weather conditions.
- All activities carried out within the framework of the Deep Ocean mission will respect the rules established by the ISA, thus ensuring the absence of damage to biodiversity.
India’s Preparedness for Ocean Mining
- The mining location in India is located at a depth of around 5,500 metres, with tremendous pressure and extremely cold temperatures.
- We've also deployed a Remotely Operated Vehicle and an In-Situ Soil Tester to a depth of 6,000 metres, and we have a complete grasp of the Central Indian Ocean Basin's mining region.
- The newly built mining machine for 6000 metres deep was able to go around 900 metres and will be deployed at 5,500 metres soon.
- Weather conditions and ship availability are other factors.
- More research is being done to figure out how to get the nodules to the surface. A riser system with an umbilical or electromechanical cable and a hose is in the works.
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