Bad Signs Emerge Near Indonesia as Chinese Researchers Reveal Findings

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – Bad signs have been detected in the northern part of Indonesia’s sea, specifically on the seabed of the South China Sea. Researchers have found large accumulations of silver deposits. Their content is said to have continued increasing compared with a century ago. So why is this phenomenon considered a sign of danger? According to researchers, the silver deposits signal the increasingly worrying impacts of global warming driven by human activity. A study by Hefei University of Technology and Guangdong Ocean University of China took samples from the seabed at a depth of 1,878 metres off the coast of Vietnam. They attempted to study the 3,200-year history of the sediment core from those samples. The sampling site is a wind-exposed region, where it is replaced by cold, nutrient-rich deep seawater. This condition makes the location sensitive to environmental changes and reflective of global-scale changes. The silver content on the seabed has continued to rise since the 1850s, a period that marks the early Industrial Revolution and the time when atmospheric CO2 levels surged. The silver found on the seabed of the South China Sea is believed to originate from manufacturing activities, i.e., residues from the production of photographic equipment. Moreover, researchers also found that intensified East Asian summer monsoon, driven by global warming, contributed to heavier rainfall and strong winds delivering nutrients to the surface of the sea, enabling marine microorganisms to become more productive in photosynthesis. These microorganisms absorb silver and other metallic contents from seawater. When they die, their remains, including the silver, are carried to the seabed. This condition may not be limited to the sampled area in the South China Sea, as its effects could extend to coastlines around the globe. The issue does not stop there. The accumulation of silver and valuable minerals could attract seabed mining for silver, copper, lead, gold and other materials needed to manufacture batteries such as nickel, manganese, and cobalt. Increased mining activity could impact the environment, including disrupting the balance of the seas. This phenomenon again highlights the need for more concrete actions by policymakers worldwide to tackle the increasingly severe threat of global warming.