#seabed — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #seabed, aggregated by home.social.
-
Anatomy Of A Seafloor Spreading Event Captured By In Situ Seismogeodesy
--
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10785-0 <-- shared paper
--
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-a-first-scientists-witness-the-seafloor-spread-in-real-time-giving-them-a-rare-glimpse-at-a-mysterious-geologic-process-180989123/ <-- shared technical media article
--
H/T @Seabed 2030
“🔍 For the first time, scientists have observed seafloor spreading in real time.
Seafloor spreading is the process by which new oceanic crust is formed at mid-ocean ridges - a geological process that has shaped entire ocean basins over millions of years.
During a research expedition in the Indian Ocean, scientists had just deployed a suite of instruments when a series of earthquakes triggered a seafloor spreading event, allowing them to observe the process as it unfolded.
The findings offer rare new insights into how new oceanic crust forms and how the seafloor continues to evolve…”
--
“Earth’s outermost layer - the crust - is constantly renewing itself. It’s broken into giant chunks called tectonic plates that pull apart, push against or slide past one another, creating grand geologic features.
Underwater mountain ranges, or mid-ocean ridges, for instance, generally take shape where two tectonic plates are moving away from each other. Magma can then bubble up in between, solidifying and turning into new oceanic crust as part of a process called seafloor spreading. Although the phenomenon has created entire ocean basins, it remains quite mysterious because it happens so deep in the water.
Now, for the first time, scientists have observed this dynamic activity happening in real time. They describe their findings - and their stroke of luck - in a study [link above], shedding light on a mechanism that made roughly two-thirds of Earth’s crust…”
--
#Seabed2030 #OceanMapping #Hydrospatial #remotesensing #seafloor #seafloorspreading #oceanic #crust #geology #structuralgeology #IndianOcean #earthquake #midoceanridge #instrumentation #marine #seabed #hydrography #model #modeling #mapping #GIS #spatial #tectonicplates #magma #fortuitous #survey #seismogeodetic #monitoring #submarine #rifting #observation #volcanism #seismicity #dyke #fault #faulting #midoceanridge #MOR -
"Seabed Recovery after Bottom Trawling Bans Shows Nature’s Resilience"
https://happyeconews.com/seabed-recovery-after-bottom-trawling-bans/
-
European bottom trawling costs billions every year in climate impacts, study finds https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/european-bottom-trawling-costs-billions-every-year-in-climate-impacts-study-finds/
Seabed life triples after bottom trawling ban in Scotland protected area https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/seabed-life-triples-after-bottom-trawling-ban-in-scotland-protected-area/
#Europe #Scotland #environment #seabed #BottomTrawling #climate #ClimateChange #ClimateCrisis
-
‘A national scandal’: trawlers scour seabeds of supposedly protected UK waters https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/mar/31/a-national-scandal-trawlers-scour-seabeds-of-supposedly-protected-uk-waters
#UnitedKingdom #UK #environment #waters #sea #seabed #trawlers
-
Indigenous rights, the environment, and international law: What’s at stake at this week’s seabed mining talks
#seabed #mining #indigenous #biodiversity #nature #conservation #oceans #resistance #raiseyourvoice #takeaction #learnsomething
-
In biology/geology "#marinesnow" refers to the #organicdebris of organisms from higher #waterlevels. The #carboncycle thus transfers #CO2 to the #seabed, thus binding the #greenhousegas.
B. Borer et al. (2026) found that #microbial components of this "snow" induce #calciumcarbonate #dissolution in higher waters, reducing their #settlingvelocity and requiring consideration in future #climatemodels.
©#StefanFWirthBuy me a coffee
https://ko-fi.com/sfwirth
Ref
https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2510025123
Pics
©S.F.Wirth -
#SodiumIonBatteries offer an alternative to tricky #lithium
Oct 26th 2023
Excerpt: "Fortunately, lithium is not the only game in town. As we report this week, a clutch of firms are making batteries based on sodium, lithium’s elemental cousin. Since sodium’s chemical properties are very similar to those of lithium, it too makes for good batteries. And sodium, which is found in the salt in #seawater, is thousands of times more abundant on Earth than lithium and cheaper to get at. Most of the companies using sodium to make batteries today are also Chinese. But pursuing the technology in the West might be a surer route to energy security than relying heavily on lithium.
"Besides its abundance, sodium has other advantages. The best lithium batteries use #cobalt and #nickel in their electrodes. Nickel, like lithium, is in short supply. #Mining it on land is #EnvironmentallyDestructive. Proposals to grab it from the #seabed instead have caused rows. A good deal of the world’s cobalt, meanwhile, is extracted from small mines in the #DemocraticRepublicOfCongo, where #ChildLabour is common and working conditions are dire. Sodium batteries, by contrast, can use #electrodes built from #iron and #manganese [and wood #lignin], which are plentiful and uncontroversial. Since the chemical components are cheap, a scaled-up industry should be able to produce batteries that cost less than their lithium counterparts.
"Sodium is not a perfect replacement for lithium. It is heavier, meaning sodium batteries will weigh more than lithium ones of an equivalent capacity. That is likely to rule them out in some cases where lightness is paramount. But for other applications, such as #GridStorage or #HomeBatteries, weight is irrelevant. Several Chinese carmakers are even beginning to put sodium batteries in #ElectricVehicles."
Read more:
https://www.economist.com/leaders/2023/10/26/sodium-batteries-offer-an-alternative-to-tricky-lithiumArchived version:
https://archive.ph/7x6JX#SolarPunkSunday #EnergyStorage #SodiumIon #NewTechnology #GiantLeap #Reuse #WasteReuse #NoLithiumMining #NoMining
-
There are plenty of actions to study the ocean, including mapping the #seabed, #eDNA expeditions, satellite observations, #bluecarbon studies, etc.
#GES4SEAS #MOOC #oceanoptimism
https://oceandecade.org/decade-actions/ -
Compendium Of Seabed Mapping Use Cases | HE Nippon Foundation - Gebco #Seabed2030 Project
--
https://seabed2030.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/SEABED-2030-Compendium-of-Seabed-Mapping-Use-Cases-031024.pdf <-- shared presentation
--
#GIS #spatial #mapping #remotesensing #earthobservation #spatialanalysis #oceanfloor #seafloor #marine #ocean #global #usecase #cable #subsubseacable #planning #design #engineering #routing #risk #hazard #infrastructure #trench #slope #seamount #cost #costsavings #benefit #economics #usecase #seabed #opendata #platforms #sensors #survey #dataprocessing #management #publication #bigdata #acquisition #coverage #hydrospatial #hydrographic #coast #coastal #development #spatialplanning #maritime #socioeconomic #sovereignty #navigation #nauticial #charting #charts #marinecharts #depth #crowdsourcing #3D #basemap #tsunami #stormsurge #extremeweather #model #modeling #landfall #impact #humanimpact #propagation #climatechange #ocean #biodiversity #ecosystems #reef #bathymetry #government #policy #pollution #blueeconomy #industry #NGO #academia #research
@Seabed2030 -
The story is set in a seagrass meadow.
🧵 2/#seagrass #Malaysia #pipefish #seahorse #seabed #iconicfishes #AmmiLeong
-
This thought-provoking art raises weighty issues, but with joy in the making, the details, & the conversations that ensue. It's disturbing, but so beautiful!
What other aspects do you see?
🧵 7/n#RatapanLautan #PangrokSulap #StBenetsCam #MarineLife #seabed #BottomTrawling #OceanArt #SaveOurSeas
-
#Seabed #Mining Firm Faces Legal Questions Over Controversial Trump Policy
After Trump pledged to open international waters to mining, #TheMetalsCompany sought #US permits. But other countries are raising legal concerns.
Some of the company’s international partners are now questioning their relationships with The Metals Company. Trump’s order conflicts with a longstanding treaty known as the Law of the Sea, potentially exposing them to legal risks.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/21/climate/metals-company-seabed-mining-trump.html
https://archive.ph/yNikt -
The #LighthouseofAlexandria is one of the #SevenWonders of the #AncientWorld. It was built between 299 and 279 BC under #PtolemyI by #SostratusofCnidus and was #destroyed by earthquakes in the early 14th century AD. #Scientists led by construction researcher Isabelle Hairy (#CNRS) #raised 22 #blocks of it from the #seabed in 2025. It is intended to better understand the #tower's #construction.
©#StefanFWirth Berlin 2025
Ref
https://news.artnet.com/art-world/lighthouse-of-alexandria-blocks-recovered-2665823#Pictures
© S.F. Wirth, #AIassisted, 2025 -
#Hydrography– the science of measuring and describing the physical features of oceans, seas, coastal areas, lakes, and rivers. It is the foundation of our understanding of the marine world. In this vast field, #seabed #mapping has become one of the most vital tools of the 21st century. But could it also help restore our blue planet 🌊 ?
👉 Find out more in our latest #GeoLog: https://egu.eu/6J43K2/
📷 Veera Haapaniemi on https://imaggeo.egu.eu
-
My #artwork #SeaBed was made with lots of help from @refugeesupportdev.bsky.social and the people they support. #ar #artist #artsciencecollaboration 🧪
RE: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:mox4paaiebmfucboutuykv57/post/3lr6naiingc26 -
Mussel power: how an offshore shellfish farm is boosting marine life.
Mussel farming provides a sustainable alternative protein source for human diets, because mussels filter feed on plankton and do not have to be fed wild-caught fish.
Researchers have found that one offshore mussel farm is boosting marine biodiversity and regenerating the seabed.
#Mussels #Shellfish #MarineLife #Biodiversity #Protein #Seabed #Nature #Environment #LymeBay #UK
-
#US Is Reviewing #ImpossibleMetals Proposal to #Mine the #Seabed
The Interior Department said it would review a new proposal for operations off the coast of #AmericanSamoa.
The move follows an #executiveorder that urged government agencies to expedite permits for #seabedmining in US territorial waters as well as international waters. Most other nations argue US does not have the legal right to mine the seabed beyond its own territorial waters.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/21/climate/trump-seabed-mining-impossible-metals-american-samoa.html
https://archive.ph/B5zn4 -
#SodiumBatteries offer an alternative to tricky #lithium
Lithium is relatively scarce and mostly refined in China. Sodium is neither
Oct 26th 2023
Excerpt: "Fortunately, lithium is not the only game in town. As we report this week, a clutch of firms are making batteries based on sodium, lithium’s elemental cousin. Since sodium’s chemical properties are very similar to those of lithium, it too makes for good batteries. And sodium, which is found in the salt in seawater, is thousands of times more abundant on Earth than lithium and cheaper to get at. Most of the companies using sodium to make batteries today are also Chinese. But pursuing the technology in the West might be a surer route to energy security than relying heavily on lithium.
"Besides its abundance, sodium has other advantages. The best lithium batteries use #cobalt and 3nickel in their electrodes. Nickel, like lithium, is in short supply. #Mining it on land is #environmentally destructive. Proposals to grab it from the #seabed instead have caused rows. A good deal of the world’s cobalt, meanwhile, is extracted from small mines in the Democratic Republic of #Congo, where child labour is common and working conditions are dire. Sodium batteries, by contrast, can use electrodes built from iron and manganese, which are plentiful and uncontroversial. Since the chemical components are cheap, a scaled-up industry should be able to produce batteries that cost less than their lithium counterparts.
"Sodium is not a perfect replacement for lithium. It is heavier, meaning sodium batteries will weigh more than lithium ones of an equivalent capacity. That is likely to rule them out in some cases where lightness is paramount. But for other applications, such as grid storage or home batteries, weight is irrelevant. Several Chinese carmakers are even beginning to put sodium batteries in electric vehicles.
"Perhaps the biggest disadvantage of sodium batteries is their late start. #LithiumIon batteries were first commercialised in the 1990s and have benefited from decades of investment. But the rest of the world is behind China on both fronts anyway. America and the European Union have announced enormous programmes of green industrial subsidies. If they are determined to bankroll batteries, some of the pot should go to sodium."
Read more:
https://www.economist.com/leaders/2023/10/26/sodium-batteries-offer-an-alternative-to-tricky-lithiumArchived version:
https://archive.ph/7x6JX##SolarPunkSunday #DeepSeaMining #NoLithiumMining #LeaveItInTheOcean #LeaveItInTheOcean #LithiumAlternatives #SodiumBatteries #RenewablesNow
-
As #Norway Considers #DeepSeaMining, a Rich History of Ocean Conservation Decisions May Inform How the Country Acts
In the past, scientists, industry and government have worked together in surprising, tense and fruitful ways
by Christian Elliott, April 21, 2025
"At the #Arctic #MidOceanRidge off the Norwegian coast, molten rock rises from deep within the Earth between spreading tectonic plates. Black smoker vents sustain unique ecosystems in the dark. Endemic species of long, segmented bristle worms and tiny crustaceans graze on bacteria mats and flit among fields of chemosynthetic tube worms, growing thick as grass. Dense banks of sponges cling to the summits and slopes of underwater mountains. And among all this life, minerals build up slowly over millennia in the form of #sulfide deposits and #manganese crusts.
"Those minerals are the kind needed to fuel the global green energy transition—#copper, #zinc and #cobalt. In January 2024, Norway surprised the world with the announcement it planned to open its waters for exploratory deep-sea mining, the first nation to do so. If all went to plan, companies would be issued licenses to begin identifying mineral deposits as soon as #Spring2025. To some scientists who’d spent decades mapping and studying the geology and ecology of the Norwegian seabed and Arctic Mid-Ocean Ridge, the decision seemed premature—they still lacked critical data on the area targeted for mining. The government’s own Institute of Marine Research (IMR) accused it of extrapolating from a small area where data has already been collected to the much larger zone now targeted
“ 'Our advice has been we don’t have enough knowledge,' says Rebecca Ross, an #ecologist at IMR who works on Norway’s #Mareano deep-sea mapping initiative. She says the decision was based solely on the #geology of the area. Taking high-resolution scans of the seabed and sampling its geology is the first step when research ships enter a new area, but critical biological and ecological research is more difficult and tends to come later—which is the case on the ridge area targeted for mining. Ross says it’s certain that area contains vulnerable marine ecosystems that would be affected by the light and noise pollution and sediment plumes generated by mining. The IMR estimates closing the knowledge gap on the target area could take ten years.
"The same conflict, with a partial scientific understanding misinterpreted and used to justify resource extraction, is playing out in the #Pacific, where mining pilot projects are already underway in international waters. Years before, scientists funded by industry scouted the #seabed there, discovering both valuable minerals and new forms of life."
#LeaveItInTheOcean #DeepSeaMining #NoDeepSeaMining #RecycleCopper #LifeOnEarth #Ecocide #PlanetDestroyers #HumanGreed
