Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Please contact our team if you have any questions that aren’t covered here or would like to discuss your questions or feedback with Impossible Metals.

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Glossary

Abyssal plains =  Is an underwater plain on the deep ocean floor, usually found at depths between 3,000 and 6,000 meters.

AUV (Autonomous underwater vehicle) = AUVs are robot submarines that can explore the ocean without a pilot or tether.

Biodiversity = biological diversity among and within plant and animal species in an environment.

CCZ (Clarion-Clipperton Zone) = A large area in the Pacific Ocean from Hawaii to Mexico.

Critical Minerals = Copper, nickel, and cobalt are essential components in many of today’s rapidly growing clean energy applications.

DP (Dynamic Positioning) = is a computer-controlled system to automatically maintain a vessel’s position and heading by using its own propellers and thrusters.

DSM (Deep Sea Minerals) = The minerals found on the deep seabed.

EEZ (exclusive economic zone) = an area of the ocean, generally extending 200 nautical miles beyond a nation’s territorial sea, within which a coastal nation has jurisdiction over both living and nonliving resources.

EIS (Environmental Impact Statement) = is a tool for decision-making. It describes the positive and negative environmental effects of a proposed action.

Eureka I, II, III = Underwater robots (AUVs’) designed by Impossible metals for selective harvesting of polymetallic nodules from the ocean floor.

EV (electric vehicle) = is a vehicle that uses one or more electric motors for propulsion.

ISA (International Seabed Authority) = is an autonomous international organization that organizes and controls all mineral-resources-related activities in the Area for the benefit of humankind.

Megafauna = animals of a given area that can be seen with the unaided eye.

UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) = established a comprehensive international legal framework to govern activities related to the global oceans.

USBL (ultra-short baseline)  =  method of underwater acoustic positioning as GPS does not work underwater.

TAM (Total addressable market) = a metric that estimates the maximum revenue potential for a product or service if it were to capture 100% of a market.