Seafloor massive sulfide deposits: Continuing efforts toward a global estimate of seafloor massive sulfides

In response to growing commercial interest in mining of seafloor massive sulfide (SMS) deposits, there has been ongoing debate about the possible global abundance of SMS [1,2,3,4]. The need for such assessments is now more urgent, as a number of countries, mining and exploration companies, and international consortia have begun to invest in intensive exploration campaigns for SMS. This paper examines the current inventory of SMS and considers the “next steps” in establishing the geological resources of sulfide deposits that will be needed to sustain a new seafloor mining industry.