Japanese researchers said Thursday they have found a rich deposit of rare earths on the Pacific seabed, with reports suggesting it could be up to 30 times more concentrated than Chinese reserves.
Mud samples taken from 5,800 meters (19,000 feet) below the waves contained highly concentrated amounts of the precious minerals, which are vital for high-tech manufacturing and used in products including wind turbines and iPods.
The proving of resources is significant for Japan, which currently relies largely on China, the source of around 90% of the world’s supply of rare earths.
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