Geological team discovers millions of precious minerals under Indian seabed

Scientists from the Geological Survey of India (GSI) discovered millions of tonnes of precious minerals and metals deep under the waters surrounding the Indian peninsula.

The GSI compiled the data after surveying 181025 square kilometres of seabed.

Indian research vessels Samudra Ratnakar, Samudra Kaustabh and Samudra Saudikama carried out the exploration, named High Resolution Seabed Mapping and Natural Resource Evaluation.

The main objectives of the exploration were to identify potential zones of favourable mineralisation and evaluate marine mineral resources.

The presence of lime mud, phosphate-rich sediments was discovered off Karwar, Mangaluru and Chennai coasts, gas hydrate in the channel-levee system of Mannar Basin off the Tamil Nadu coast, icro-manganese nodules around Lakshadweep Sea and cobalt-bearing ferro-manganese crust from the Andaman Sea.

Background

• The Geological Survey of India first identified the presence of large amount of marine resources off the coasts of Mangaluru, Chennai, Mannar Basin, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and around Lakshadweep in early 2014.

• After three years of exploration, it had generated 181,025 square kilometres of high-resolution seabed morphological data and established the occurrence of more than 10,000 million tonnes of lime mud within the EEZ of India.

• The GSI has also confirmed the presence of phosphate sediment off Karwar, Mangaluru and Chennai coasts, gas hydrate in the Mannar Basin off the Tamil Nadu coast, ferro-manganese crust from the Andaman Sea and micro-manganese around Lakshwadweep Sea.

About Geological Survey of India

• The Geological Survey of India was established in 1851.

• It is a government organisation in India for conducting geological surveys and studies.

• It is one of the oldest of such organisations in the world and the second oldest survey in the country.

• It is the prime provider of basic earth science information to the government, industry and the general public, as well as responsive participant in international geoscientific fora, the vibrant steel, coal, metals, cement and power industries.