International Waters Ocean Floor

Extends 200 nautical miles from the territorial sea baseline and is adjacent to the 12 nm territorial sea of the u s overlapping the 12 24nm contiguous zone.

International waters ocean floor.

Scraping through the top five inches of the ocean floor. The terms international waters or trans boundary waters apply where any of the following types of bodies of water transcend international boundaries. The ocean floor has the same general character as the land areas of the world. Oceans large marine ecosystems enclosed or semi enclosed regional seas and estuaries rivers lakes groundwater systems and wetlands.

China and korea hold contracts to explore sms deposits in international waters of the indian ocean and russia and france hold exploration leases on the mid atlantic ridge. The lack of weathering and erosion in most areas however allows geological processes to be seen more clearly on the seafloor than. But the biggest prize for mining companies will be access to international waters. Contiguous zone is measured 24 nautical miles from the baseline.

International waters is not a defined term in international law. The treaty was completed in 1982 and came into force in 1994. It has already declined from more than 70 percent of the sea floor to just 43 percent. Exclusive economic zone eez the exclusive economic zone eez of the u s.

And as the international area shrinks so does the ability of international influence to ensure that all nations have an opportunity to participate and that resources are fairly distributed. Limitations were set on how much coastal water and seafloor a nation could claim as its own. Ocean fertilization in the context of the london protocol has been defined as any activity undertaken by humans with the principal intent to stimulate primary production in the oceans. Life itself arose from the oceans.

Mountains plains channels canyons exposed rocks and sediment covered areas. The ocean is vast and covers 140 million square miles some 72 per cent of the earth s surface. Ocean fertilization does not include conventional aquaculture or mariculture or the creation of artificial reefs. It is an informal term which most often refers to waters beyond the territorial sea of any state.

Essentially it codified already established customs like the law of the sea. 57 percent of the ocean floor has already been parceled out. International waters remained international the common heritage of all mankind source.