The plumes generated during the collection of polymetallic nodules in the deep sea may have a significant impact on the marine ecosystem. Therefore, this article reviews the progress in deep-sea mining and monitoring technologies related to plumes. It is suggested that specific areas of environmental interest (APEIs) and positive altitude characteristic regions (such as seamounts and hills) in the process of polymetallic nodule collection can serve as refuges for benthic organisms and provide a biological basis for the recovery of biodiversity in mining areas. Water-supported vessels, pipeline lifting systems, and hydraulic collection methods are the least disruptive and most promising methods. By sorting out the deep-sea mining process, plumes can be roughly classified into seabed disturbance plumes and tailing plumes. The best way to address plume formation is at the source when developing environmentally friendly mining vehicles. The evaluation of plumes is crucial for the sustainable development of the environment and seabed resources. However, the mechanism is not clear at present. Therefore, laboratory simulation and in situ monitoring need to be coordinated, and attention should be paid to the impact on benthic marine organisms as much as possible during original operations. Plume research in the deep-sea mining process will also provide favorable support for the possible future development of seabed resources.

Sediment plumes generated by seafloor mining vehicles represent a major environmental concern in polymetallic nodule harvesting operations. This study investigates plume dispersion induced by sediment disturbances during mining using numerical simulations based on the similarity principle. A representative mining region is modeled, and the motion of mining vehicles is simulated to define the sediment disturbance source. The simulations employ the experimentally validated P-T Euler model (Particle–Turbulence Interaction Euler model) to examine the effects of sediment release velocity and ambient current velocity on plume dispersion characteristics. The results show that increasing the sediment release velocity primarily enhances the initial turbidity flux and significantly expands the plume core diffusion range, indicating that mining disturbances dominate near-field plume behavior. In contrast, the ambient current velocity strongly controls plume morphology and transport, promoting upward transport, long-range advection, and enhanced turbulent dissipation that governs far-field dispersion. Overall, plume diffusion is initially controlled by mining-induced sediment release but becomes increasingly dominated by ambient flow during large-scale transport. These findings provide a theoretical basis for predicting sediment plume behavior and assessing potential environmental impacts in deep-sea mining areas.

The complex seabed topography and mechanical properties of deep-sea sediments impose stringent requirements on the traction performance and locomotion stability of tracked mining vehicles. Experimental investigations on the coupled effects of grouser geometry and operating conditions on traction remain limited. To address this, rheological tests and multi-parameter traction experiments were conducted. Deep-sea sediments were modeled as a power-law fluid to capture their non-Newtonian behavior, considering particle size distribution, water content, and compaction state. Using a self-designed traction test apparatus, the influences of grouser geometry and operating parameters on traction force were systematically analyzed. Results indicate that both grouser configuration and operating conditions significantly affect traction force magnitude and stability. Rectangular grousers, exhibiting more uniform stress distribution and pronounced shear bands, demonstrated enhanced traction efficiency and locomotion stability under high-load, low-speed conditions. When the grouser length was 30 mm and the traveling speed was maintained at 7–12 mm/s, sediment fluidization was significantly mitigated, improving traction performance. Furthermore, a spacing of at least 20 mm between adjacent grousers produced a synergistic effect, increasing sediment shear strength by approximately 30–40%. These findings provide quantitative guidance for grouser design and operational optimization of tracked deep-sea mining vehicles.