Study of the impact of low ambient air and seawater temperatures on the possibility of mining solid minerals in arctic waters

The Arctic continental shelf, extending from the coastline to the border of the exclusive economic zone of the Russian Federation, is one of the most important storages of the most sought-after solid minerals: placers of tin, gold, platinum and diamonds scattered in sedimentary rock layers emphasize the geological wealth of this region. This article presents an overview of the mineral resource potential located along the Arctic continental margin of the Russian Federation. The paper shows the monthly average temperatures in the Arctic region using ERA5 reanalysis data, which indicates a negative ambient temperature range almost all the year round, with a short summer pause of 3 months. The study highlights the main negative categories of subzero temperature effects on mining equipment performance, efficiency and personnel safety, as well as demonstrating general challenges. The paper demonstrates average annual air and water temperatures in the Arctic part of the Russian Federation, based on which zones with different degrees of favorable conditions for mining operations were determined. According to this zoning, any deposit of solid minerals located on the Arctic continental shelf should be developed not only taking into account the known classifications based on the depth of the mineral occurrence, but also the criterion of the possible duration of the season. Based on this assertion, a flowchart has been developed to allow a subsoil user to select a suitable technology among the competing options. The presented study can serve as a checklist for mining companies engaged in subsea mining of solid minerals in the Far North.