The essays below will help you to understand the goals and objectives of the mission and provide additional context and information about the places being explored and the science, tools, and technologies being used.
The CCZ covers a large area—it spans 5,000 kilometers (3,100 miles). Within this area, there are large environmental differences relating to variations of phytodetritus input from the surface ocean (the food supply); the abundance and geochemistry of nodules; and bathymetric (seafloor) features, including the occurrence of seamounts dotting the abyssal plains.
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Despite their name, abyssal plains are not solely flat, but are punctuated by hills and seamounts. Abyssal hills rise up to 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) above the seafloor, and seamounts are taller still.
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Polymetallic nodules are a potential mineral resource for copper, nickel, cobalt, iron, manganese, and rare earth elements. They are found in various deep-ocean regions, including the deep Pacific and Indian Oceans.
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