On Earth, sea-floor spreading is fuelled by molten rock upwelling from deep inside the Earth.
Either way, the CO2 must be put somewhere, for which strategies include pumping it into rocky formations (such as depleted oil and gas wells) at a pressure of 100 atmospheres, or even piping it in liquid form under pressure onto the sea-floor where it is cold enough and the pressure high enough that it is hoped the material will stay there, assisted by the formation of CO2-hydrate.
The Hawaiian company Kona Blue raises a type of yellowtail from eggs to harvest in 3, 000 cubic-meter cages tethered to the sea floor, one-half mile off the coast of Kona.
At stake were lucrative new oil and gas fields -- by some estimates ten billion tons of oil -- on the Arctic sea floor.
The plunge-pool-equipped Windward Pavilions are the largest (1, 291 square feet) of Qualia's 60 accommodations, and also lean heavily on views for decoration--floor-to-ceiling windows bring the blue sea in, with a counterpoint of contemporary furniture in similar shades.
They are also trying to understand the role that deep seas trenches play in earthquakes - these cracks in the sea floor are formed at the boundary of two tectonic plates and some believe the push and pull taking place deep underwater could be the cause of major earthquakes, such as the 2011 quake that resulted in such devastation in Japan.
The pressures are too great, and no engineering or materials conceivable today would allow us to build livable-sized spaces on the deep sea floor.
FORBES: Why Don't We Spend More On Exploring The Oceans, Rather Than On Space Exploration?
Methane is the principal component of natural gas, and massive amounts of it are trapped in reservoirs beneath the sea floor and under a layer of the ice-like substance.
Under the UN's Convention on the Law of the Sea, mining rights on the ocean floor are controlled by a little-known body, the International Seabed Authority, which since 2001 has issued 13 licences - with another six in prospect.
BBC: UK Seabed Resources joins deep-ocean mineral-mining rush
With nearly 500 rooms overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, this design-conscious resort--with all-white rooms lined in mirrors and floor-to-ceiling windows--is anything but boutique.
The test well, Jack-2, delved through 7, 000 feet of water and 20, 000 feet of sea floor to tap oil trapped in tertiary rock laid down 60 million years ago.
Oil from the mile-deep well may be collecting in underwater clouds, potentially endangering a cornucopia of life from the sea floor to the surface, preliminary sampling by university researchers suggests.
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