제목: Study on the enrichment mechanism of rare earth elements in the Pacific Ocean​​​​​​​​​​​

Rare earth elements (REEs) are crucial resource for the development of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and green energy. In response to the increasing demand, KIGAM has been conducting research on REE resources in the deep-sea sediments of the Pacific Ocean since 2020 to establish a stable supply chain of REE resources. The purpose of the research is to gain a better understanding of the REE enrichment mechanism in the ocean sediments during the Cenozoic and to secure a distribution map of REE concentrations in the Pacific deep-sea sediments. We are analyzing 763 deep-sea sediment samples from 30 scientific drilling sites in the Pacific to understand the REE enrichment in the deep sea sediments. Our results indicate that REE concentrations higher than 1,000 ppm in Pacific sediments are mainly located at depths of 4,000 m, rather than in continental margins. Furthermore, we demonstrate that REE enrichment is strongly correlated with aeolian transport, hydrothermal activity, and biogeochemical interaction. Our research has constructed a distribution map of REE concentrations at 159 sites in the deep-sea sediments of the Pacific, including previous research results.​