INDEX
INDEX Environmental Studies
The working group Biogeochemistry at the Institute of Geology has been actively supporting the research and exploration program INDEX since 2015. Southeast of Madagascar, the African, Antarctic and Indo-Australian plates meet at the so-called Rodrigues Triple Junction in the Southern Indian Ocean. There, Germany holds a license area of 10.000 km2 in order to investigate polymetallic sulfide deposits that could be of potentially economic value. Led by the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR), a detailed estimate of the raw material potential is being carried out scheduled until the year 2030. This investigation is accompanied by several biogeochemical, sedimentological and ecological studies in order to estimate the potential impact of future deep-sea mining activities on the marine environment along the spreading axis.
In the license area the INDEX program primarily focusses on the prospection for polymetallic sulfide deposits. These deposits are economically important resources for copper, lead, and zinc but also for gold, silver and rare earth elements such as iridium, germanium, and other metals essential for producing high quality electronic products. However, there are a great number of active hydrothermal vents along the mid-ocean ridge axis. These hydrothermal vents (Black Smokers) are found at water depths of more than 3000 m and comprise a unique environment for very specialized benthic organisms. Consequently, environmental studies examining the ecosystem in that area are an integral and important part of the INDEX program. The working group Biogeochemistry at the Universität Hamburg conducts part of these environmental studies, i.e. water mass analyses, particle flux studies with various sediment trap moorings and studies of early diagenetic changes in surface sediments. Thereby, the working group contributes to the understanding of one of the least investigated areas of the world’s oceans.
Contact: Dr. Niko Lahajnar
Period: 2015 -2030