FSUE VNIIOkeangeologia named after I. S. Gramberg:

S. I. Andreev, Chief of a Section of Geology and Mineral Resources of World Ocean, Doctor of Geological and Mineralogical Sciences, e-mail: andreev@vniio.ru

V. E. Kazakova, Senior Researcher of a Section of Geology and Mineral Resources of World Ocean

L. N. Romanova, First Category Engineer

The World Ocean deep-sea polymetallic sulfides (DSPS) were discovered in 1978 in the Pacific Ocean near the East Pacific Rise. Russia started the systematic researchings in 1985 first in the Pacific, then in the northern part of the Atlantic Ocean (5-40°N.). The main works were made by the Polar Expedition (in Lomonosov town). The key role was played by VNIIOkeangeologia Research Institute in St. Petersburg. By now, Russian marine geologists have discovered 9 large deposits of DSPS in the Mid Atlantic Ridge. 7 of them were included in the Application, which was examined and approved by the ISA on July 19, 2011. Currently, the developing of exploration works plan is carried out within the application area at 100 sites, 10x10 km each.

The article covers the regularities of the DSPS abundance in the World Ocean, on the mid-oceanic ridges and in the West Pacific transition zone. The composition of deep-sea sulfides has been described separately for Cu, Zn and Pb as the main elements as well as the associated metals – Au and Ag. The article shows the correlation between DSPS composition and the scale of their abundance and the geodynamics of different links of the mid-oceanic ridge. Different DSPS are compared; on this basis, there is estimated the optimality of the choice of different accumulations of polymetallic sulfides in the Russian Exploration Site of the MAR.

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