From ScienceAlert, October 11:
Scientists investigating the possibility of a 'gold rush' on the bottom of the ocean have hit upon an unforeseen 'landmine'.
Researchers at the United States Geological Survey (USGS) are now warning that some deep-sea minerals may spontaneously combust when they are brought to the surface.
In 2022, that happened to two samples of metal-sulfide rocks collected from the deep seafloor.
The event caused temperatures above 100 °C in the lab and completely oxidized the original samples.
An article on the discovery, published in Scientific Reports, is being shared early, before full editing, to give the public faster access to new research.
According to the USGS, this is a "potential hazard that could merit special consideration if deep-sea mining of seafloor massive sulfide deposits moves forward".
"The production of heat through exothermic reactions has not been investigated in seafloor massive sulfide deposits but has the potential to cause rapid onset fires on ships," claims the recent article.
The combustible rocks were collected by the USGS in 2022, during a deep-sea investigation of the Escanaba Trough, in collaboration with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)....
....MUCH MORE
Also at ScienceAlert, October 11:
A New 'Super Ice' Is 10 Times Stronger, Bringing It Close to The Strength of Concrete
