Plate Tectonics & Marine Resources

Plate Tectonics & Marine Resources The ocean is one of the worlds greatest natural resources. It provides the Earth's population with numerous amounts of resources that have value and others that provide pure enjoyment. Transportation is one of the major uses of the ocean, along with recreational activities, and inspiration. As for resources extracted from the ocean that provide the economy with value, three of the main include oil, minerals, and food. Oil or gas are the top resources extracted from the ocean, but it also is more expensive than extracting it from land. Oil and gas exist in the ocean because they form from the organic remains of buried marine organisms. It is said that when they die and buried they are decomposed by anaerobic bacteria and then cooked by geothermal heat. Another form of gas found in the ocean is methane which is frozen and trapped in ice. Methane is the most commonly found type of gas in the ocean, but when it comes to resources there are more types of minerals that are very abundantly found. Metallic Sulfide mud’s are mineral deposits found in the deep parts of the ocean near the tectonic plate boundaries. They are commonly filled with metals such as iron, copper, lead, zinc and silver. Some of the non metallic minerals include sand, muds, phosphorite nodules, and are commonly found in the shallower waters. The most abundant mineral found in the ocean is salt, there are many ways of extracting salt but the one used the most is by evaporation. Salt is used in different types of cement, and other building materials, and also used in certain medicines. It is also used a lot in the cooking of many different foods. In many countries around the world they extract a lot of food from the ocean. This food being fish or different types of seafood, which are used and enjoyed in many popular dishes. There is over 21 billion different types of fish and edible creatures found in the ocean. Fishing and using nets is the most common type of extracting these creatures and also provides a source of entertainment and careers for many people. These and many more resources fill up the waters around us, they provide money, food, jobs, and entertainment. The ocean helps balance our world, and our economy, by allowing us to utilize it in many different ways. Hopefully, as technology grows and advances we will be able to discover many more resources and ways to use these resources.