Soon We May Sweep the Sea Floor for Valuable Minerals

Abstract

At least 14 1/2 million square miles of the ocean floor, according to recent discoveries, are strewn over with nuggets of valuable minerals. Typically shaped like potatoes, ranging from a pigeon's egg to a football in size these brown and black lumps of light porous rock are called manganese nodules.
The lumps of rock average 20 percent manganese, 15 percent iron, and half a percent eack of cobalt, nickel and cooper, respectively. The nodules covering a single square mile hold \18×10⁷ worth of metals.
Mining of the more easily accessible nodules may be soon under way. John L. Mero of University of California declares, "a commercial venture may now be possible" where the depth is within 4, 000 feet.