'Digging mine' fresh water in the seabed

Not having to conduct extensive exploration drilling, scientists can still find resources in the seabed, including fresh water, thanks to 2D electric imaging.

Dr. Nguyen Hong Bang, Southern Association of Water Resources Planning and Investigation has successfully implemented this method at the coast of Bac Lieu town (Bac Lieu province).

'When I heard that the survey team came to find fresh water in the sea, there was an astonished man who came to see us: What do there have fresh water in the seabed?' Dr. Bang recalled the memory when the survey team went to Bac Lieu to conduct research.

Dr. Bang said, 2D electric imaging method has been applied to find minerals, fresh water . in the mainland, but to find freshwater under the sea is completely new. The biggest difficulty in implementing this method in the seabed is the interference of seawater.

On a straight line from the shore to the sea 3km long, scientists add an electrode every 20m to submerge in the seabed. The electrodes will transmit the signal to the receiver, through the converter, and then send it to the computer for analysis.

Collect data from the electrode.

Spread the electrode on the sea.

Marine test drilling.

Identify the "mine" of fresh water.

Based on the parameters obtained, the geological structure of the seabed will be known. If the area has fresh water, the resistance will be large and vice versa.

Survey depth can reach 200m, depending on the length of the electrodes attached. The test error compared to reality when freshwater detection is only 2.58%.

Scientists have identified freshwater 'mines' under the sea 3km from the shore, depths of 48 - 106m in Nha Mat ward, Bac Lieu town.

Dr. Tran Binh Trong, principal expert of the Department of Science and Technology, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, said: For a long time, to exploit the submarine resources must have extensive exploration drilling, causing many negative effects. to the seabed. Therefore, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment highly appreciated the above research results.

The study not only serves to find freshwater in the seabed, but also opens a method for investigating natural resources and minerals in Vietnam's continental shelf.