A Note on Assessment of Mineral Resources in the Antarctic

• Main Author: Keiichiro Kanehira
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Published: Department of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Science, Chiba University 1979
• Subjects: Antarctic; The Antarctic; Antarc*; Memoirs of National Institute of Polar Research; Polar Research
• Online Access: https://nipr.repo.nii.ac.jp/?action=repository_uri&item_id=1017; http://id.nii.ac.jp/1291/00001017/; https://nipr.repo.nii.ac.jp/?action=repository_action_common_download&item_id=1017&item_no=1&attribute_id=18&file_no=1

It may be reasonable to assume that the Antarctic Continent would contain as much mineral resources as those in other continental fragments of the Gondwana super-continent. The exploration and exploitation of mineral resources, however, may be much restricted by the hard natural conditions in the Antarctic. The conservation of the environment may also place a severe limitation on the mining activities. Geological investigations oriented to assessment of mineral resources are appraised, but the effect of the exploration and exploitation of mineral resources on the environment of the Antarctic should be carefully considered before the actual commercial-based exploration activities are initiated.