The Mind-Blowing 20 Million Ton Gold Stash NASA Found… But You Can’t Get Your Hands On It
Imagine a colossal vault, the size of all the planet’s oceans. That’s how NASA describes a discovery that seems like a golden dream: . The inevitable question arises: why can’t we extract it?
Gold in the water: a diluted fortune
The calculation by the space agency is as precise as it is disheartening. . This means that, even though the total volume equates to unimaginable wealth, the concentration is so low that any extraction attempt is unfeasible. Not only would gigantic amounts of water need to be processed, but also technologies that are currently costly, slow, and, in some cases, non-existent. Attempts like underwater drilling or the use of chemical filters have shown two main problems: . Any progress in this area, for now, is closer to a materials science challenge than an industrial project.
The challenge of underwater mining
Experts agree that any eventual extraction would require disruptive innovations. The most cited proposal is the development of nanofilters and chemical processes capable of capturing gold without releasing pollutants or altering the marine balance. However, this advancement is still in the conceptual phase. Papua New Guinea set a precedent in 2017 by approving the first license for deep-sea mining, but even in those cases the focus tends to be on more accessible resources like copper, zinc, or silver. , hydrothermal vents located in the depths, accumulate valuable minerals and rare earth elements, opening up another area of interest for oceanic mining.
Between science and utopia, more than a mineral resource, is a reminder of the current limits of technology and the need to balance ambition with sustainability. For now, this wealth will remain locked in the immense blue vault, challenging those who dream of turning the sea into a mine.
