Editing Rare-earth element (section)

====Ocean mining====
In January 2013 a Japanese deep-sea research vessel obtained seven deep-sea mud core samples from the Pacific Ocean seafloor at 5,600 to 5,800 meters depth, approximately {{convert|250|km|mi}} south of the island of [[Minami-Tori-Shima]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Seabed offers brighter hope in rare-earth hunt |url=http://asia.nikkei.com/Japan-Update/Seabed-offers-brighter-hope-in-rare-earth-hunt |access-date=11 December 2016 |work=Nikkei Asian Review |agency=Nikkei Inc. |date=25 November 2014 |archive-date=December 20, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220114144/http://asia.nikkei.com/Japan-Update/Seabed-offers-brighter-hope-in-rare-earth-hunt |url-status=live}}</ref> The research team found a mud layer 2 to 4 meters beneath the seabed with concentrations of up to 0.66% rare-earth oxides. A potential deposit might compare in grade with the ion-absorption-type deposits in southern China that provide the bulk of Chinese REO mine production, which grade in the range of 0.05% to 0.5% REO.<ref>{{cite web |title=Discovery of rare earths around Minami-Torishima |url=http://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/utokyo-research/research-news/discovery-of-rare-earths-around-minami-torishima/ |website=UTokyo Research |publisher=University of Tokyo |access-date=11 December 2016 |date=2 May 2013 |archive-date=June 20, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180620002602/https://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/utokyo-research/research-news/discovery-of-rare-earths-around-minami-torishima/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite conference |last1=Zhi Li |first1=Ling |last2=Yang |first2=Xiaosheng |title=China's rare earth ore deposits and beneficiation techniques |url=http://www.eurare.eu/docs/eres2014/firstSession/XiaoshengYang.pdf |conference=1st European Rare Earth Resources Conference |publisher=European Commission for the 'Development of a sustainable exploitation scheme for Europe's Rare Earth ore deposits' |place=Milos, Greece |access-date=11 December 2016 |date=4 September 2014 |archive-date=January 19, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200119193604/http://www.eurare.eu/docs/eres2014/firstSession/XiaoshengYang.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref>