Scientists Collected Deep-Sea Rocks. They Spontaneously Caught Fire in The Lab.
Two samples burst into flames in lab tests, and USGS says the unstable iron sulfide could pose a hazard if mined and brought to the surface.
- United States Geological Survey researchers discovered that some seafloor massive sulfide rocks spontaneously combust when exposed to oxygen, posing unexpected risks for future deep-sea mining operations.
- Nanocrystalline marcasite, a form of iron sulfide, makes these rocks unstable upon exposure to air, triggering exothermic reactions that cause samples to self-heat after being pulverized.
- In 2022, the USGS collected 57 hydrothermal rock samples from four regions in the Escanaba Trough off the West Coast; lab tests revealed two samples ignited, reaching temperatures above 212 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Exothermic reactions threaten to cause rapid onset fires on ships, the USGS warns, characterizing this as a 'potential hazard that could merit special consideration' for mining operations.
- The International Seabed Authority recently issued 31 exploration contracts for sulfide minerals on two deep-sea ridges, though researchers stress further study is required before commercial mining proceeds.
14 Articles
14 Articles
The Ocean Floor Has Rocks That Can Set Themselves on Fire. Here's How It Works.
If companies are going to mine the seafloor, they might want to pay close attention to a recently published study in Scientific Reports that was recently detailed on the United States Geological Survey website, and for good reason, as it is a particular kind of rock that can be out there that could possibly spontaneously […]
Rocks from hydrothermal vents can spontaneously combust, posing potential risks for deep-sea mining operations
Projects involving the mining of seafloor massive sulfide (SMS) deposits around hydrothermal vents already face criticism over their destructive nature, and now these projects may face a new concern: spontaneous combustion. A new study, published in Scientific Reports, describes how certain samples of rock brought up from SMS deposits have unexpectedly caught fire. The study indicates that conditions at the surface, combined with processing acti…
The stones that scientists have collected from the bottom of the ocean have spontaneously flared up in the lab.
In the US, rock samples extracted from the deep sea spontaneously ignited while being examined in a laboratory. The event, which surprised scientists, saw temperatures exceeding 100 degrees Celsius, revealing a new danger associated with planned seabed mining operations.
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