Cited by 131Oceanographic and Atmospheric ProcessesMarine Biology and Ecology ResearchMarine and coastal ecosystems

Impact of remotely generated eddies on plume dispersion at abyssal mining sites in the Pacific

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Aleynik, Dmitry, Inall, Mark E., Dale, Andrew, Vink, Annemiek·2017·Scientific Reports

Abstract

Proposed harvesting of polymetallic nodules in the Central Tropical Pacific will generate plumes of suspended sediment which are anticipated to be ecologically harmful. While the deep sea is low in energy, it also can be highly turbulent, since the vertical density gradient which suppresses turbulence is weak. The ability to predict the impact of deep plumes is limited by scarcity of in-situ observations. Our observations show that the low-energy environment more than four kilometres below the surface ultimately becomes an order of magnitude more energetic for periods of weeks in response to the passage of mesoscale eddies. The source of these eddies is remote in time and space, here identified as the Central American Gap Winds. Abyssal current variability is controlled by comparable contributions from tides, surface winds and passing eddies. During eddy-induced elevated flow periods mining-related plumes, potentially supplemented by natural sediment resuspension, are expected to spread and disperse more widely and rapidly. Predictions are given of the timing, location and scales of impact.

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  • Eddies may affect the deep-water environment with a downward effective transfer rate of 200-600 m day−1 as measured in the Pacific Ocean.

    “Eddies may also affect deep-water environment with downward effective transfer rate of 200–600 m day−1 as measured in the Pacific Ocean47.”

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1 of the 76 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Research works printed but not linked: 2

  1. [38]Zyryanov VN Topographic eddies in a stratified ocean Regular and Chaotic Dynamics 2006 11 491 521 10.1070/RD2006v011n04ABEH000367 · DOI
  2. [70]Roe, P. L. Some contributions to the modelling of discontinuous flows, in Large-scale computations in fluid mechanics; Proceedings of the Fifteenth Summer Seminar on AppliedMathematics, 1983. (eds Lee, R. L. Sani, R. L. Shih, T. M. & Gresho, P. M.), 2, 163–193 (American Mathematical Society, 1985).

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Authors
Aleynik, D., Inall, M. E., Dale, A., & Vink, A.
Affiliations
Scottish Association For Marine Science (GB)
Corresponding author
Aleynik, Dmitry
Venue
Scientific Reports
Published
2017-12-05
Volume
7
Issue
1
Pages
16959-16959
ISSN
2045-2322 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2770479302
Cited by
131
References
76
Citations by year
2026: 12 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 22 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 28 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 14 · 2019: 15 · 2018: 7
FWCI
6.55
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Scientific Reports (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
  • Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Funders
  • European Commission (603418)
  • Natural Environment Research Council
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Oceanography › Oceanographic and Atmospheric Processes
  • Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Oceanography › Marine Biology and Ecology Research
  • Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Oceanography › Marine and coastal ecosystems
Keywords
polymetallic nodule mining, deep-sea mining, sediment plumes, mesoscale eddies, abyssal currents, tidal forcing, suspended sediment resuspension, plume dispersion, central tropical Pacific, deep-sea mining impacts

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