In recent years, Sub-Committee on Undersea Feature Names (SCUFN) has been conducting deliberations on naming undersea features that are entirely or mainly (more than 50%) outside the external limits of the territorial sea,adhering to the principles of not involving sovereignty dispute between countries.
TAO ChunHuiLI ShouJunSONG ChengBingCHENG YongShouYANG ChunGuoHE YongHuaZHOU YangDENG XianMingGAO JinYaoQIU Lei
Polymetallic sulfides have attracted more attentions,which are regarded as one of the potential seabed mineral resources for their high grade of precious metal elements such as Cu,Zn,Pb,Au,and Ag.Since2007,there are four China dayang cruises(CDCs)with eight legs totally,which have been carried out to investigate polymetallic sulfides on the southwest Indian ridge(SWIR),and eight hydrothermal vents have been found.In2011,the China Ocean Mineral Resources Research and Development Association(COMRA)and International Seabed Authority(ISA)signed a 15-year contract for exploration for polymetallic sulfides located on the SWIR between 46°S and 53°S.The area allocated to the COMRA is approximately 10,000 km2.In this paper,we review the recent research advances about hydrothermal activity of the SWIR by the CDCs.As for the sulfides exploration in the future,some aspects should be emphasized,such as the controlling factors of sulfide mineralization on the SWIR,prospecting methods of inactive and buried sulfide deposits,sulfides resources assessment method,and the nearbottom sulfides exploration technology systems.
