Sediment Thickness
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Status of Environmental Work Carried out by India Dr. S.K.Das Ministry of Earth Sciences Government of India 9th November, 2010 Kingston, Jamaica Objectives • To establish baseline conditions of deep-sea environment in the proposed mining area To assess the potential impact of nodule mining on marine ecosystem To understand the processes of restoration and recolonisation of benthic environment To provide environmental inputs for designing and undertaking a deep-sea mining operation. Activities and milestones achieved Activity Period Status • Baseline data collection 1996 - 1997 Completed • Selection of T & R sites 1997 Completed • Benthic Disturbance and 1997-2001 Completed impact assessment • First monitoring studies 2001-2002 Completed • Second monitoring studies 2002-2003 Completed • Third monitoring 2003-2004 Completed • Fourth monitoring 2005 Completed • Environmental variability study 2003-2007 Completed • Evaluation of nodule associated 2008 onwards Continuing micro-environ. Creation of environmental database 2011 onwards Continuing Environmental studies for marine mining in Central Indian Basin Phase 1: Baseline data collection Phase 2: Benthic Disturbance & Impact Assessment Phase 3: Monitoring of restoration modeling of plume creation of environmental database 4 PARAMETERS ANALYSED Geology Biology Chemistry •Seafloor features •Surface productivity • Metals •Microbiology •Sediment thickness • Nutrients •Biochemistry •Topography • Meiofauna • DOC • Macrofauna •Sediment sizes • POC •Megafauna •Porewater and sediment chemistry Physics •Geotechnical • Currents props. • Temperature • Conductivity •Stratigraphy • Meteorology 5 Benthic Disturbance (1997) * 200 x 3000 m * 5400 m depth *Central Indian Basin * 26 tows * 9 days * 47 hrs * 88 km * 3737 t (wet) / 580 t (dry) sediment re-suspended 6 Results of different parameters in diff. Phases (4cm from top in disturbance zone) Parameter Pre-dist. Post-dist. Mon-I Mon-II Mon-III (1997) (1997) (2001) (2002) (2003) Sediment sizes Clay content (%) 35 40 62 62 56 Geotech.prop. Water cont (%) 544 563 463 567 616 Sh.Str. (Kpa) 2.08 0.75 3.47 3.35 2.47 Geochem. Prop. Org.carbon (%) 0.35 0.46 0.28 0.35 0.37 Nitrogen (%) 0.084 0.093 0.085 -- -- Phosphorus (%) 0.008 0.008 0.013 0.013 0.01 ------------------------------------------------- 7 (continued…………) Parameter Pre-dist. Post-dist. Mon.-I Mon-II Mon-III (1997) (1997) (2001) (2002) (2003) Microbial ATP.ug g-1 22.5 3.47 1.44 0.00 9.45 adenosine triphosphate (ATP) Total Count.g-1 109 106 107 106 106 Biochemical (mg.g-1) Chlorophyll 0.16 0.18 0.10 0.07 0.10 Proteins 0.42 0.08 0.52 0.55 0.87 Lipids 0.29 0.21 0.02 0.01 -- LOM 0.88 0.42 0.66 0.83 -- (Labile Organic Matter) Meiofauna (no.10 cm-2) Abundance 46 23 11 6 11 No. of groups 11 4 9 6 10 Macrofauna (no.m-2) 8 Abundance 244 80 266 -- 100 --------------------------------------------------------- Monitoring of restoration of benthic environment Pre disturbance – 1997 Post disturbance – 1997 Monitoring I -- 2001 Monitoring II -- 2002 Monitoring III -- 2003 Monitoring IV -- 2005 Test area Reference area Concentration of clays at test and reference locations 80 80 Av. clay % of different phases for 0 to 4 cm depth DZ Av. clay % of different phases for 0 to 4 cm depth 70 70 A1/A 60 60 50 50 EDZ A1/B 40 40 Clay % Clay 30 % Clay 30 20 NDZ 20 A1 10 10 0 0 Pre. D. Post. D. M-1 M-2 M-3 M-4 SDZ Baseline M-1 M-2 M-3 M-4 T1/B Phases Phases 0-4 cm 0-4 cm Test area Reference area Avg. Pre Post Mon.I Mon.II Mon.III Mon.IV Conc. (June 97) (Aug 97) (Apr 01) (June 02) (Apr 03) (Apr 04) Clay (%) 35 40 62 62 56 68 Geotechnical properties in different phases Average Pre Post Mon.I Mon.II Mon.III Mon.IV Values (Jun 97) (Aug 97) (Apr 01) (Jun 02) (Apr 03) (Apr. 05) Water Content (%) 544 563 463 567 616 503 Shear strength (Kpa) 2.08 0.75 3.47 3.35 2.47 3.00 Organic carbon and nitrate concentrations in different phases Average Pre-dist. Post-dist. Mon.-I Mon.-II Mon.-III Mon.-IV (%) (Jun. 97) (Aug. 97) (Apr. 01) (Jun. 02) (Apr. 03) (Apr.05) OC 0.35 0.46 0.28 0.35 0.37 0.31 Macrofauna distribution in different phases 12 250 10 ) 200 -2 229 8 150 179 177 100 6 4 Density (no.m 50 66 64 No. groups of 0 2 0 dist Post- Mon-I Mon-III Pre-dist Post-dist Mon-I Mon-III Mon-IV Mon-IV Pre-dist Test area (average density) Test area (cumulative groups) 250 600 Station 2 Station 3 Station 5 A1/a 225 A1/b ) 500 -2 ) 200 T1/b -2 400 175 150 300 125 200 100 Density (no.m 100 (no.m Density 75 50 0 25 0 Mon-I Mon-III Mon-IV Mon-IV Pre-dist Mon-I Mon-III Mon-IV Post-dist Test area (station wise) Reference area (station wise) Average Pre-dist. Post-dist. Mon.-I Mon.-II Mon.-III Mon.-IV abundance (Jun. 97) (Aug. 97) (Apr. 01) (Jun. 02) (Apr. 03) (Apr.05) No. m-2 229 179 177 -- 66 64 Meiofauna distribution in different phases 50 30 Disturbance area 45 Disturbance track 40 25 ) ) -2 35 -2 30 20 25 15 20 15 Density(no.10cm 10 10 Density(no.10cm 5 5 0 0 Mon-I Mon-II Mon-I Mon-II Mon-III Mon-IV Mon-III Mon-IV Pre-dist Post-dist Test area (mean density) Reference area (mean density) 12 11 10 10 9 Avg. Pre- Post Mon-I Mon-II Mon-III Mon-IV 8 Values dist. dist. 6 6 (Jun 97) (Aug 97) (Apr 01) (Jun 02)(Apr 03)(Apr05) 4 4 No. of groups No. of 4 2 Abund. 46 23 17 6 11 6 0 Groups 11 4 9 6 10 4 Mon-I Mon-II Mon-III Mon-IV Pre-dist Post-dist Test area (cumulative groups) Microbial distribution in different phases 1.00E+10 1.00E+07 1.00E+04 Cells.g-1sedimentdry pre- po Moni Moni Moni Moni st- 1 2 3 4 Sampling stage Test area (total count) Reference area (total count) 10000 100 1 ATP ng.g-1dry ATP sediment pre post Moni 1Moni 2 Moni 3Moni 4 Sampling stages Test area (ATP) Reference area (ATP) Salient findings of benthic impact experiment Immediate impact • Lateral migration of sediment • Vertical mixing of sediment • Changes in physicochemical conditions • Overall reduction in biomass BC9 Longterm restoration 75.99 76.00 76.01 76.02 76.03 -10.02 -10.02 BC12 MC02a BC4 BC13 MC01 BC10 • Restoration started initially BC5 BC8 -10.03 -10.03 LEGEND BC17 ) BC14 Coring Stations - S BC3 ° BC11 Pre Disturbance ( e Coring Stations - d u t i Post Disturbance • High sediment influx t a L Coring Stations - BC7 BC2 Monitoring Disturbance Zone BC15 -10.04 -10.04 • Conditions fluctuating annually BC16 BC6 • Large local variations BC1 -10.05 -10.05 75.99 76.00 76.01 76.02 76.03 Longitude (°E) These observations suggest that the background changes mask the experimental changes over a period of time Temporal and spatial variability of environment April-May 2003 April-May 2005 72.0 72.5 73.0 73.5 74.0 74.5 75.0 75.5 76.0 76.5 77.0 -10.0 -10.0 BC-26 BC-1R -10.5 -10.5 -11.0 -11.0 BC-23 BC-24 BC-25 BC-2RR -11.5 -11.5 Rel. Area - Phase I -12.0 -12.0 Rel. Area - Phase II BC-22 BC-21 BC-20 BC-3R Rel. Area - Phase III -12.5 -12.5 Retained Area ) S ° -13.0 -13.0 Coring stations ( e BC-17 BC-18 BC-19 BC-4 d u t i t a -13.5 -13.5 L -14.0 -14.0 BC-16 BC-15 BC-14 BC-5 -14.5 -14.5 -15.0 -15.0 BC-11 BC-12R BC-13 BC-6 -15.5 -15.5 -16.0 -16.0 BC-10 BC-9 BC-8 BC-7 -16.5 -16.5 72.0 72.5 73.0 73.5 74.0 74.5 75.0 75.5 76.0 76.5 77.0 Longitude (°E) Multi-beam and parasound data in PMN area Evaluation of depth variation and sediment thickness • N-S transect • E-W transect Depths and sediment thickness data along N-S transect (75o 30’E, 10o - 16o) Sl.No Station Depth (m) Sediment thickness . Number (m) Depths between 10 - 12º 1. TVBC 26 5338 70 S are relatively higher 2. TVBC 25 5292 50 (5250-5340 m) with 3. BC 28 5266 30 respect to south i.e.12- 4. TVBC 20 5239 50 16º S (4900-5230 m). 5. BC 30 5180 - Sediment thickness 6. TVBC 19 5096 - generally higher in the 7. BC 34 5225 10 north (30-70 m) as 8. TVBC 14 5189 15 compared to the south 9. BC 35 5237 10 (10-15 m). 10. TVBC 13 4899 15 11. TVBC 8 5201 10 Depth and sediment thickness along E-W transect (13o S, 74o 30’-76o 30’) •The eastern section is deeper than the western section of the transect •The deepest point on west is 5150 m, while center is 5250 m and in the east is 5650m •Sediment thickness varies with the seafloor topography, i.e. less thickness on peaks and higher thickness on slopes and valleys. Depth and sediment thickness in First Gen. Mine-site General depth varies between 5000 – 5400 m, which include bathymetric highs (hills), slopes and valleys.