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Minerals
Special Issues
Geology, Exploration and Mining of Deep-Sea Mineral Resources
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Geology, Exploration and Mining of Deep-Sea Mineral Resources

A special issue of Minerals (ISSN 2075-163X). This special issue belongs to the section "Mineral Deposits".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2026 | Viewed by 2243

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Georgy Cherkashov

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Guest Editor
Institute for Geology and Mineral Resources of the Ocean (FSBI “VNIIOkeangeologia”), 1 Angliisky Ave., 190121 St. Petersburg, Russia
Interests: marine minerals; deep sea mineral deposits; geochemistry and mineralogy; methods of marine exploration; seafloor massive sulfides; evolution of hydrothermal systems
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Luigi Jovane

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Instituto Oceanográfico, Universidade de São Paulo, Praça do Oceanográfico, 191, São Paulo, SP 05508-120, Brazil
Interests: magnetic methods; geophysical surveys; seismic methods; mineral exploration; rock physics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Pedro Madureira

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Geosciences, Institute of Earth Sciences, University of Évora, 7000-671 Évora, Portugal
Interests: deep sea mineral resources; deep sea exploration; island formation and evolution; igneous petrology and geochemistry; lithosphere vs. asthenosphere interaction; United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
Dr. Francisco J. González

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Guest Editor
Marine Geology Resources and Extreme Environments, Geological Survey of Spain (IGME-CSIC), Calle Ríos Rosas 23, 28003 Madrid, Spain
Interests: marine mineral deposits; ferromanganese mineralization; phosphorites; critical metals; biomineralization; economic geology; hydrothermal systems
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Resources of cobalt, nickel, manganese, copper, gold, and several rare and rare earth elements in deep-sea minerals (DSM) are comparable to, and sometimes exceed, the resources of continental deposits. The metals in DSM are categorized as critical and strategic, ensuring the sustainable development particularly for high-tech industries of the global economy. Currently, exploration work is ongoing to assess the resources of three main types of deep-sea minerals—ferromanganese nodules, cobalt-rich ferromanganese crusts, and polymetallic sulfides. The exploration methods include geophysical and geochemical ones and are still improving. The data obtained during exploration work are of great scientific importance, and the issues of DSM distribution and composition, as well as modeling of ore formation processes, remain the subject of many scientific projects. At present, exploration work on certain areas of the seabed is nearing completion. The need to move on to production is driving the development of deep-sea mining technologies.

The main goal of the Special Issue is to improve our understanding of ore-forming processes in the ocean as well as approaches for exploration and exploitation of DSM. This will provide a scientific and methodological basis for the future development of ocean mineral resources.

Prof. Dr. Georgy Cherkashov
Prof. Dr. Luigi Jovane
Dr. Pedro Madureira
Dr. Francisco J. González
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Minerals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • marine minerals
  • exploration methods
  • geological setting of DSM
  • mineralogy, geochemistry and dating of deep-sea deposits
  • ore forming models of DSM

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 1993 KB  
Article
An Assessment of the Effects of Phosphatization on the Co Depletion of a Ferromanganese Crust from the Magellan Seamount Cluster
by Xiangwen Ren, Shijuan Yan, Aimei Zhu, Gang Yang, Jun Ye, Jixin Wang and Dewen Du
Minerals 2026, 16(2), 172; https://doi.org/10.3390/min16020172 - 5 Feb 2026
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Abstract
The mineral composition and chemistry of a Co-rich ferromanganese crust from Skornyakova Guyot in the Magellan Seamount Cluster is investigated by X-ray diffraction and ICP-OES to scrutinize the effects of phosphatization on the depletion of Co. The section of this crust is divided [...] Read more.
The mineral composition and chemistry of a Co-rich ferromanganese crust from Skornyakova Guyot in the Magellan Seamount Cluster is investigated by X-ray diffraction and ICP-OES to scrutinize the effects of phosphatization on the depletion of Co. The section of this crust is divided into four layers (layers I-1, I-2, II and III) from substrate to surface based on texture. The average Co concentrations of older layers I-1 and I-2 are 0.41% and 0.30%, respectively, whereas the average Co concentrations of younger layers II and III are 0.53% and 0.29%. The variation ranges of SiO2, Al2O3, CaO, P2O5, and Fe2O3 along the section are 1.5%–22.9%, 0.4%–6.9%, 2.7%–24.6%, 0.83%–15.26%, and 10.7%–28.4%, respectively, which are capable of diluting the Co concentrations significantly. The todorokite detectable by XRD does not occur in layers I-1 and I-2, which suggests that most of the depletion of Co in phosphatized crust cannot be attributed solely to the mineral transition from Fe-vernadite to todorokite during phosphatization, and other controls, including the dilution from detrital minerals and carbonate fluorapatite, need to be involved. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geology, Exploration and Mining of Deep-Sea Mineral Resources)
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Review

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32 pages, 46734 KB  
Review
The Rio Grande Rise: Current Knowledge and Future Frontiers for Deep-Sea Science, Mineral Resources and Governance
by Luigi Jovane, Carina Ulsen, Douglas Galante, Simone Bernardini, Natascha Menezes Bergo, Elisabete de Santis Braga, Frederico P. Brandini, Ronaldo Carrion, David Lopes de Castro, Renata R. Constantino, Muhammad Bin Hassan, Valdecir de Assis Janasi, Izabel King Jeck, Luciano de Oliveira Junior, Marco Antonio Couto Junior, Fabiola A. Lima, Simone Marques, Gustavo M. Massola, Nelia C. C. Mestre, Webster Mohriak, Eduardo F. Monlevade, Carina Costa de Oliveira, Vivian Helena Pellizari, Marcelo Cecconi Portes, Adriane G. P. Praxedes, Fabio Rodrigues, Lucas C. V. Rodrigues, Francisco Javier González Sanz, Ilson C. A. da Silveira, Jules M. R. Soto, Pedro Walfir Souza-Neto, Paulo Y. G. Sumida, Gabriel T. Tagliaro, Solange Teles da Silva, Alexander Turra, Roberto Ventura Santos, Marcio Yamamoto and Sidney L. M. Melloadd Show full author list remove Hide full author list
Minerals 2026, 16(4), 418; https://doi.org/10.3390/min16040418 - 17 Apr 2026
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Abstract
The Rio Grande Rise (RGR) is the largest oceanic plateau in the South Atlantic and represents a key natural laboratory for understanding oceanic plateau formation, deep-sea circulation, ecosystem functioning, and ferromanganese crust development. This study presents a critical synthesis of current scientific knowledge [...] Read more.
The Rio Grande Rise (RGR) is the largest oceanic plateau in the South Atlantic and represents a key natural laboratory for understanding oceanic plateau formation, deep-sea circulation, ecosystem functioning, and ferromanganese crust development. This study presents a critical synthesis of current scientific knowledge on the RGR, integrating geological, geophysical, oceanographic, biological, and geochemical evidence published over the last two decades. Geophysical data reveal a complex tectono-magmatic evolution involving Late Cretaceous plume-related volcanism, crustal thickening, rifting, and subsequent subsidence. The structural framework of the plateau is dominated by the Cruzeiro do Sul Rift, which plays a central role in controlling sedimentation, magmatism, and seawater circulation. Oceanographic studies demonstrate that the interaction between the southern branch of the South Equatorial Current and the complex topography of the RGR generates intense internal tides and bottom currents, strongly influencing sediment transport and benthic habitats. Biological investigations indicate that the RGR hosts diverse deep-sea communities, including sponge grounds, cold-water corals, and associated fauna, whose distribution is tightly linked to geomorphology and hydrodynamics. Ferromanganese crusts occurring on the plateau preserve valuable geochemical records of oceanographic and redox conditions, although their spatial distribution, thickness, and metal budgets remain incompletely constrained. Despite major advances, significant knowledge gaps persist regarding crustal structure, sedimentary evolution, ecosystem functioning, and mineral formation processes. This review highlights these uncertainties and outlines research priorities necessary to improve understanding of oceanic plateaus and deep-sea systems in the South Atlantic. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geology, Exploration and Mining of Deep-Sea Mineral Resources)
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