新突破！我国发现世界级规模深海矿床 每吨含金量最高达15克

近期，清华大学联合多家单位组成的科考队，在西太平洋1200到1500米的深海，发现一处大型活跃深海热液区，初步预测，

其潜在多金属硫化物的资源量达到世界级海底矿床水平

。

在这片海底矿区，不仅富含

黄铜矿、黄铁矿、闪锌矿等多种核心工业矿物

，更重要的是

金、银等贵金属含量，远超大多数陆地矿山

，初步分析，每吨矿石含金量最高达15.4克，最高含银量更是超过1公斤，平均水平也显著高于陆地矿石。

本次发现矿床的西太平洋弧后盆地，正好在欧亚板块和菲律宾海板块的碰撞交界地带，构造活动剧烈。深海地下几千米的位置，聚集着大量高温的岩浆，它就像巨大的炉灶，当冰冷的海水顺着海底裂缝向下运移到一定深度时，就会被这些炽热的岩浆加热，发生一系列复杂的物理化学反应后，一部分带有浮力的流体向上运移喷发，就形成了海底热液活动。这些热液流体不仅温度高，还具有强反应活性，能够把作为围岩的地壳深处的物质萃取、富集，再运移到海底之上。

当滚烫的热液流体喷涌进入冰冷的海水，溶解态金属和海水里的还原硫发生反应，可生成大量固态的硫化物。我们所看见的深海“黑烟囱”，喷出的黑烟就是由无数硫化物固体小颗粒组成。这些物质不断沉淀，日积月累，就形成了规模庞大的海底矿床。

陆地矿产一吨矿石只要有几克黄金，就已经拥有工业开采价值。而科考团队此次发现的深海矿床，其矿石不是普通矿石，而是高品位的优质矿石。

其中含有的金、银、铜、锌等元素，是芯片制造、航空航天、高端精密制造不可或缺的核心命脉资源。

但受深海高压、复杂地质条件等各种因素影响，这类活跃热液矿床目前尚不具备开采条件。

除了价值连城的矿产资源，科考团队还在这片深海热液区拍摄到了震撼的生命群落。在上千米的深海热液区，终年漆黑，存在巨大的水压和数百摄氏度的高温流体，理应是生命的“绝境”。但就在这片“绝境”里，却栖息着繁盛的虾蟹、贝类以及极端微生物，密密麻麻在滚烫的喷口周边繁衍生息。它们依靠热液里的化学反应获取能量，形成了一套完全颠覆传统认知的化能合成生态系统。

其实，此前科学家们就在深海热液附近发现了古细菌，并通过基因测序比对，发现这些古细菌处在生命演化树最底层。有观点推测，地球上最早的生命，或许就诞生在深海热液系统里，这也成为科学家们推测木星和土星的冰卫星冰层海洋之下或许孕育生命的重要理论依据。

A joint scientific expedition has made an important breakthrough in its investigation of hydrothermal activity and mineral resources on the western Pacific seafloor.

Researchers from Tsinghua University, the Qingdao Institute of Marine Geology under the China Geological Survey, Shanghai Jiao Tong University and other institutions used domestically developed equipment to identify a large, previously unknown active high-temperature hydrothermal field. Preliminary findings indicate that the area could contain substantial polymetallic sulfide resources.

The research team departed Shenzhen aboard the research vessel Xiang Yang Hong 10 on August 10. During the 18-day expedition, it carried out seven probe dives in a back-arc basin within China's exclusive economic zone in the western Pacific.

Before the latest expedition, the team had conducted more than 10 surveys in the area and identified dozens of high-temperature hydrothermal vents. The vents are located at depths of about 700 to 1,500 meters. Temperatures of end-member fluids at the vents exceeded 315 degrees Celsius, indicating intense hydrothermal activity.

Building on those earlier surveys, the team used detailed mapping and in situ sampling to pinpoint a new and extensive hydrothermal mineral deposit in the basin. The associated hydrothermal sulfide orebody consists of three large cone-shaped structures.

Preliminary analysis in the vessel's onboard laboratory found that the orebody is mainly composed of economically important minerals, including chalcopyrite, pyrite and sphalerite.

Initial tests on selected samples detected associated gold concentrations of up to 15.4 parts per million and silver concentrations of up to 1,271 parts per million. According to the research team, their average concentrations were significantly higher than those commonly found in terrestrial mineral deposits.