Monitoring benthic plumes, sediment redeposition and seafloor imprints caused by deep-sea polymetallic nodule mining

Iason-Zois Gazis (igazis@geomar.de), Henko Stigter, Jochen Mohrmann, Karl Heger, Melanie Diaz, Benjamin Gillard, Matthias Baeye, Mario E. Veloso-Alarcón, Kaveh Purkiani, Matthias Haeckel, Annemiek Vink, Laurenz Thomsen and Jens Greinert
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Iason-Zois Gazis: GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel
Henko Stigter: NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research
Jochen Mohrmann: GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel
Karl Heger: GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel
Melanie Diaz: NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research
Benjamin Gillard: Constructor University
Matthias Baeye: Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences
Mario E. Veloso-Alarcón: GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel
Kaveh Purkiani: GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel
Matthias Haeckel: GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel
Annemiek Vink: Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources
Laurenz Thomsen: Constructor University
Jens Greinert: GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-16

Abstract: Abstract A deep-sea (4500 m) trial of a pre-prototype polymetallic nodule collector with independent scientific monitoring revealed that a gravity current formed behind the collector channeled through steeper seafloor sections and traveled 500 m downslope. The prevailing bottom currents dominated sediment dispersion up to the end of the monitoring area at 4.5 km distance. The maximum suspended particle concentration recorded 50 m from mining lanes was up to four orders of magnitude higher than ambient values but decreased rapidly with increasing time, distance, and altitude. Most of the plume remained close to the seafloor, with the highest concentrations at 1 m monitoring altitude and reaching background concentrations at 50 m. Rapid particle flocculation was followed by fast and substantial sediment redeposition. A mm-scale photogrammetric seafloor reconstruction allowed quantitative estimates of the thickness of redeposited sediment next to mining lanes of ≈ 3 cm and a minimum erosional depth of 5 cm.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-56311-0

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