Science

Deep-sea expedition will revisit Pacific mining site five and a half years after test

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Based on a feed excerpt; full article content has not been acquired. Source evidence retrieved 20/10/2026, 09:40:24 UTC.

Briefings

A German research vessel named SONNE departed from San Diego in October 2026 to conduct expedition SO322 in the Pacific, targeting the Clarion-Clipperton Zone for a five-and-a-half-year revisit of a previously tested Pacific mining site. The expedition aims to explore the largest known deposits of polymetallic nodules, a resource Germany holds an exploration license for in this region.

Key points

• The research vessel SONNE departed from San Diego in October 2026 to begin expedition SO322.
• The expedition targets the Clarion-Clipperton Zone north of the equator for a five-and-a-half-year revisit of a previously tested Pacific mining site.

Context

This is a follow-up to a prior test in the Pacific. Germany holds an exploration license in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, making this a significant revisit of a known resource area.

Limitations

The evidence is limited to the vessel's departure date and the target zone; specific outcomes of the five-and-a-half-year revisit are not provided.

Generated by Bittrees-hosted qwen35-2b sha256:aaf42c8b7c3c on 20/10/2026, 09:41:09 UTC. Based on publisher-provided feed evidence; may not cover the full original article. Check the source for details.

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