Advection-diffusion-settling of deep-sea mining sediment plumes. Part 1: Midwater plumes
The evolution of midwater sediment plumes associated with deep-sea mining activities is investigated in the passive-transport phase using a simplified advection–diffusion-settling model. Key metrics that characterize the extent of plumes are defined based on a concentration threshold. Namely, we con...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Cambridge University Press
2024
|
| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/154076 |
| _version_ | 1811071908891852800 |
|---|---|
| author | Ouillon, Raphael Muñoz-Royo, Carlos Alford, Matthew H. Peacock, Thomas |
| author_facet | Ouillon, Raphael Muñoz-Royo, Carlos Alford, Matthew H. Peacock, Thomas |
| author_sort | Ouillon, Raphael |
| collection | MIT |
| description | The evolution of midwater sediment plumes associated with deep-sea mining activities is investigated in the passive-transport phase using a simplified advection–diffusion-settling model. Key metrics that characterize the extent of plumes are defined based on a concentration threshold. Namely, we consider the volume flux of fluid that ever exceeds a concentration threshold, the furthest distance from and maximum depth below the intrusion where the plume exceeds the threshold, and the instantaneous volume of fluid in excess of the threshold. Formulas are derived for the metrics that provide insight into the parameters that most strongly affect the extent of the plume. The model is applied to a reference deep-sea mining scenario around which key parameters are varied. The results provide some sense of scale for deep-sea mining midwater plumes, but more significantly demonstrate the importance of the parameters that influence the evolution of midwater plumes. The model shows that the discharge mass flow rate and the concentration threshold play an equal and opposite role on setting the extent of the plume. Ambient ocean turbulence and the settling velocity distribution of particles play a lesser yet significant role on setting the extent, and can influence different metrics in opposing ways. |
| first_indexed | 2024-09-23T08:57:56Z |
| format | Article |
| id | mit-1721.1/154076 |
| institution | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-09-23T08:57:56Z |
| publishDate | 2024 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | mit-1721.1/1540762024-04-20T06:45:30Z Advection-diffusion-settling of deep-sea mining sediment plumes. Part 1: Midwater plumes Ouillon, Raphael Muñoz-Royo, Carlos Alford, Matthew H. Peacock, Thomas The evolution of midwater sediment plumes associated with deep-sea mining activities is investigated in the passive-transport phase using a simplified advection–diffusion-settling model. Key metrics that characterize the extent of plumes are defined based on a concentration threshold. Namely, we consider the volume flux of fluid that ever exceeds a concentration threshold, the furthest distance from and maximum depth below the intrusion where the plume exceeds the threshold, and the instantaneous volume of fluid in excess of the threshold. Formulas are derived for the metrics that provide insight into the parameters that most strongly affect the extent of the plume. The model is applied to a reference deep-sea mining scenario around which key parameters are varied. The results provide some sense of scale for deep-sea mining midwater plumes, but more significantly demonstrate the importance of the parameters that influence the evolution of midwater plumes. The model shows that the discharge mass flow rate and the concentration threshold play an equal and opposite role on setting the extent of the plume. Ambient ocean turbulence and the settling velocity distribution of particles play a lesser yet significant role on setting the extent, and can influence different metrics in opposing ways. 2024-04-04T20:03:10Z 2024-04-04T20:03:10Z 2022 2024-04-04T19:57:36Z Article http://purl.org/eprint/type/JournalArticle 2633-4259 https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/154076 Ouillon R, Muñoz-Royo C, Alford MH, Peacock T. Advection-diffusion-settling of deep-sea mining sediment plumes. Part 1: Midwater plumes. Flow. 2022;2:E22. en 10.1017/flo.2022.20 Flow Creative Commons Attribution https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ application/pdf Cambridge University Press Cambridge University Press |
| spellingShingle | Ouillon, Raphael Muñoz-Royo, Carlos Alford, Matthew H. Peacock, Thomas Advection-diffusion-settling of deep-sea mining sediment plumes. Part 1: Midwater plumes |
| title | Advection-diffusion-settling of deep-sea mining sediment plumes. Part 1: Midwater plumes |
| title_full | Advection-diffusion-settling of deep-sea mining sediment plumes. Part 1: Midwater plumes |
| title_fullStr | Advection-diffusion-settling of deep-sea mining sediment plumes. Part 1: Midwater plumes |
| title_full_unstemmed | Advection-diffusion-settling of deep-sea mining sediment plumes. Part 1: Midwater plumes |
| title_short | Advection-diffusion-settling of deep-sea mining sediment plumes. Part 1: Midwater plumes |
| title_sort | advection diffusion settling of deep sea mining sediment plumes part 1 midwater plumes |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/154076 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ouillonraphael advectiondiffusionsettlingofdeepseaminingsedimentplumespart1midwaterplumes AT munozroyocarlos advectiondiffusionsettlingofdeepseaminingsedimentplumespart1midwaterplumes AT alfordmatthewh advectiondiffusionsettlingofdeepseaminingsedimentplumespart1midwaterplumes AT peacockthomas advectiondiffusionsettlingofdeepseaminingsedimentplumespart1midwaterplumes |