Minerals and Mining in Antarctica: Science and Technology, Economics and Politics (Oxford Science Publications)

This thought-provoking study challenges the widely-held assumption that mineral mining in Antarctica is impractical. Drawing on the results of a decade of mining in the arctic, the author demonstrates that a serious economic case can be made for mining the Antarctic deposits of certain precious and strategic minerals, such as platinum. The author raises questions related to conservation and politics, such as whether the Antarctic Treaty should be renegotiated and what the impact of mining might be on the Antarctic environment and on world climate. This book will interest not only geologists, earth scientists, mineral economists and mining technologists, but also conservationists and those interested in international politics and law.