Arctic Mineral Resources

The Arctic zone of the Earth is a major source of mineral and other natural resources for the future development of science and technology. It contains a large supply of strategic mineral deposits, including rare earths, copper, phosphorus, niobium, platinum-group elements, and other critical metals. The continued melting of the sea ice due to climate change makes these resources more accessible than ever before. However, the mineral exploration in the Arctic has always been a challenge due to the climatic restrictions, remote location, and vulnerability of Arctic ecosystems. This book covers a broad range of topics related to the problem of Arctic mineral resources, including geological, geochemical, and mineralogical aspects of their occurrence and formation; chemical technologies; and environmental and economic problems related to mineral exploration. The contributions can be tentatively classified into four major types: geodynamics and metallogeny, mineralogy and petrology, mineralogy and crystallography, and mining and chemical technologies associated with the exploration of mineral deposits and the use of raw materials for manufacturing new products. The book can be of interest for all those interested in Arctic issues and especially in Arctic mineral resources and associated problems of mineralogy, geology, geochemistry, and technology.

The Arctic zone of the Earth is a major source of mineral and other natural resources for the future development of science and technology. It contains a large supply of strategic mineral deposits, including rare earths, copper, phosphorus, niobium, platinum-group elements, and other critical metals. The continued melting of the sea ice due to climate change makes these resources more accessible than ever before. However, the mineral exploration in the Arctic has always been a challenge due to the climatic restrictions, remote location, and vulnerability of Arctic ecosystems. This book covers a broad range of topics related to the problem of Arctic mineral resources, including geological, geochemical, and mineralogical aspects of their occurrence and formation; chemical technologies; and environmental and economic problems related to mineral exploration. The contributions can be tentatively classified into four major types: geodynamics and metallogeny, mineralogy and petrology, mineralogy and crystallography, and mining and chemical technologies associated with the exploration of mineral deposits and the use of raw materials for manufacturing new products. The book can be of interest for all those interested in Arctic issues and especially in Arctic mineral resources and associated problems of mineralogy, geology, geochemistry, and technology.

This book focuses on the connections between mining activities, knowledge politics and the valuation of landscape in selected case sites in Russia, Greenland and Norway, whilst considering the interrelated aspects of industrialized, natural resource based development and environmental concerns in the Arctic. The case studies in these three different countries reveals that there are indeed multiple ‘Arctics’ – not least concerning the way extractive industries are received and perceived – and that national legislation, public awareness and economic alternatives are amongst the variables that influence to what extent environmental ramifications of mining are accepted. Through analysis of political discourses, legal documents, grey literature, discussions in local and national media and empirical material from in-site fieldwork, the authors seek to understand how debates about mining reveal more general conflicts and concerns about how to define sustainability. The book contributes to the overall debates on both extractive industries and development trends in the Arctic, and will as such be of interest for both established scholars and students – as well as policy makers and the public. The compilation of cases and variety of analytical perspectives will further stimulate the ongoing debates concerning the impacts of extractive industries on communities – both in the Arctic and beyond.

Over the past thirty years we have witnessed a demand for resources such as minerals, oil, and gas, which is only set to increase. This book examines the relationship between Arctic communities and extractive resource development. With insights from leading thinkers in the field, the book examines this relationship to better understand what, if anything, can be done in order for the development of non-renewable resources to be of benefit to the long-term sustainability of these communities. The contributions synthesize circumpolar research on the topic of resource extraction in the Arctic, and highlight areas that need further investigation, such as the ability of northern communities to properly use current regulatory processes, fiscal arrangements, and benefit agreements to ensure the long-term sustainability of their culture communities and to avoid a new path dependency This book provides an insightful summary of issues surrounding resource extraction in the Arctic, and will be essential reading for anyone interested in environmental impact assessments, globalization and Indigenous communities, and the future of the Arctic region.