The ultimate limits of resources - Revision history

Apm: /* Ultimate resurce limits of the solar system */ cleanup

2026-06-10T10:33:41Z

Ultimate resurce limits of the solar system: cleanup

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:33, 10 June 2026
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	Getting material from the Sun at this point is rather soft SiFi. <br>		Getting material from the Sun at this point is rather soft SiFi. <br>
	Getting material from the gas giants is still extreme but hard ~~scifi scenariio~~ accessible. <br>		Getting material from the gas giants is still extreme but much more hard SciFi szenario accessible. <br>

	~~Unclear~~ and to determine is how much "metals" are dissolved in the atmosphere as hydrides. <br>		It's unclear and still to determine how much "metals" are dissolved in the upper reachable parts of the atmosphere as hydrides. <br>

	At slightly deeper still reachable depths ~~<br>~~		Upper is meant to include slightly deeper still well reachable depths up to a few 1000atm at max. <br>
	~~there might be~~ a ~~chance that not just nonmetals C,N,O,S,P are present as CH4, NH3, H2O, SH2, PH3 <br>~~		Thermal limits mighth be reached sooner. <br>
	~~but also semimetals (mainly Si), thansition metals (Al,Ti,Fe), and (alkali metals like e~~.~~g. Mg)~~ <br>
	~~are present as hydrides too. <br>~~
	~~If so they could~~ be ~~minded by filtering them out and they hopefully replenish from the planets interior by diffusion~~. <br>

	Several time ~~sthe~~ mass of all ~~terrestiial~~ planets ~~rocky~~ together could be extracted. <br>		At these depths there might be a chance that <br>
			not just nonmetals C,N,O,S,P are present as CH4, NH3, H2O, SH2, PH3 <br>
			but also semimetals (mainly Si), transition metals (Al,Ti,Fe), <br>
			and (alkali metals like e.g. Mg) are present as hydrides too. <br>
			If so then they could be minded by filtering them out <br>
			and they hopefully will replenish from the planets interior by diffusion faster than mined. <br>

			Several time the mass of all terrestrial rocky planets together could be extracted. <br>
	In that case concerns of destabiliing the solar systems orbits wil become of concern, If not earlier already. <br>		In that case concerns of destabiliing the solar systems orbits wil become of concern, If not earlier already. <br>

	If these non H or He elements do diffuse up in minable quantities <br>		'''If these non-H-or-He-elements do diffuse up in minable quantities''' <br>
	then they will still be extremely dilute and high effort to filter out. <br>		then they will still be extremely dilute and high effort to filter out. <br>
	An additional effort beside lifting them up and out of the severe gravity wells. <br>		An additional effort beside lifting them up and out of the severe gravity wells. <br>
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	when all other resources are nearing depletion. <br>		when all other resources are nearing depletion. <br>

	If these non H or He elements do not diffuse up in minable quantities <br>		'''If these non H or He elements do not diffuse up in minable quantities''' <br>
	then one would literally need to strip the gas giants of most of their hydrogen and helium. <br>		then one would literally need to strip the gas giants of most of their hydrogen and helium. <br>
	Which would be an absurdly big task dipping into rather soft SciFi. <br>		Which would be an absurdly big task dipping into rather soft SciFi. <br>

Apm: /* Ultimate resurce limits of the solar system */

2026-06-10T10:27:12Z

Ultimate resurce limits of the solar system

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:27, 10 June 2026
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	the ratio is increasing with Jupiter and shrinking size gas giant bodies. <br>		the ratio is increasing with Jupiter and shrinking size gas giant bodies. <br>

	Getting material from the ~~sun~~ at this point is rather soft SiFi. <br>		Getting material from the Sun at this point is rather soft SiFi. <br>
	Getting material from the gas giants is still extreme but hard scifi scenariio accessible. <br>		Getting material from the gas giants is still extreme but hard scifi scenariio accessible. <br>

Apm: /* Ultimate resurce limits of the solar system */

2026-06-10T10:26:55Z

Ultimate resurce limits of the solar system

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:26, 10 June 2026
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	then followed after large gap by Jupiter and the gas giants (including th ice giants). <br>		then followed after large gap by Jupiter and the gas giants (including th ice giants). <br>

	Hydrogen and helium are not usable as structural buiding materials on their own. <br>		Hydrogen H and helium He are not usable as structural buiding materials on their own. <br>
	The Sun has the smallest fraction stellar "metals" and <br>		The Sun has the smallest fraction stellar metals (all that is not H or He) and <br>
	the ratio is increasing with Jupiter and shrinking size gas giant bodies. <br>		the ratio is increasing with Jupiter and shrinking size gas giant bodies. <br>

Apm: /* Ultimate resurce limits of the solar system */

2026-06-10T10:25:59Z

Ultimate resurce limits of the solar system

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:25, 10 June 2026
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	== Ultimate resurce limits of the solar system ==		== Ultimate resurce limits of the solar system ==

	Most mass of the solar system is in the Sun then followed by Jupiter and the gas giants (including th ice giants). <br>		Most mass of the solar system is in the Sun <br>
			then followed after large gap by Jupiter and the gas giants (including th ice giants). <br>

	Hydrogen and helium are not usable as structural buiding materials on their own. <br>		Hydrogen and helium are not usable as structural buiding materials on their own. <br>

Apm: /* Ultimate resurce limits of the solar system */

2026-06-10T10:25:30Z

Ultimate resurce limits of the solar system

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:25, 10 June 2026
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	At slightly deeper still reachable depths <br>		At slightly deeper still reachable depths <br>
	there might be a chance that not just nonmetals C,N,O,S,P are present as CH4, NH3, H2O, SH2, PH3 <br>		there might be a chance that not just nonmetals C,N,O,S,P are present as CH4, NH3, H2O, SH2, PH3 <br>
	but also semimetals (mainly Si), thansition metals (Al,Ti,Fe), and (~~alali~~ metals e.g. Mg) <br>		but also semimetals (mainly Si), thansition metals (Al,Ti,Fe), and (alkali metals like e.g. Mg) <br>
	are present as hydrides too. <br>		are present as hydrides too. <br>
	If so they could be minded by filtering them out and they hopefully replenish from the planets interior by diffusion. <br>		If so they could be minded by filtering them out and they hopefully replenish from the planets interior by diffusion. <br>
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	Enough energy could come from fusion power. One transports the fule itself. <br>		Enough energy could come from fusion power. One transports the fule itself. <br>
	But where to dump it all? Into the Sun?		But where to dump it all? Into the Sun?

	== Ultimate limits of available space ==		== Ultimate limits of available space ==

Apm: basic page

2026-06-10T10:25:05Z

basic page

New page

{{stub}}

== Ultimate resource limits on Earth ==

{{wikitodo|Add the limitos of resources graphic if license allows so.}}

'''Disclaimer:''' 
[[Recycling]] (and [[design for recyclability]]) is very important and 
any things mentioned here should not be interpreted as an easy way around resource depletion. 
See also page "[[gem-gum waste crisis]]" for a warning.

<hr>

Current day mining (2026) is pretty much limited to what is made acessible by 
what the still primitive technologies we have available. 
Mines that are very deep for today's standard (4km) are very rare. 
Most of todays mines are much less deep. 
Continental crust being 25–70 km thick (oceanic crust 5–10km but young and thus less concentrated ore bearing) 
So we are still barely scratching the surface. 

=== Mining tailings ===

Being surface bound is even worse for the issue of where to put the mining tailings. 
Tailings somtimes are a fine sludge and toxic heavy metals and/or caustic alkali metals are often not removed 
causing risks from breaking dams polluning downstream water systems and blown fine dust. 

Advances future [[APM]] based technologies could help in
* fully strip out even the too dilute or too low value but problematic elements
* revitrify or otherwise re-bind fine dust
* cheaper transport for backfilling
* transport even half around the globe to places with boundless space available (see section on limits of space)

== Ultimate resource limits in the asteroid belt ==

While the asteroid belt has only a small fraction of the mass of the terrestrial rocky (geophysical) planets 
it povides by far the largest accessible surface area. 
An beyind that the low gravity allows for very deep mining even at the biggest objects. 
So it might turn out quite "easy" (decades of R&D) and "fast" (millenia) 
for advanced [[APM]] technology to hit the limits of these resources. 

== Ultimate resurce limits of the solar system ==

Most mass of the solar system is in the Sun then followed by Jupiter and the gas giants (including th ice giants). 

Hydrogen and helium are not usable as structural buiding materials on their own. 
The Sun has the smallest fraction stellar "metals" and 
the ratio is increasing with Jupiter and shrinking size gas giant bodies. 

Getting material from the sun at this point is rather soft SiFi. 
Getting material from the gas giants is still extreme but hard scifi scenariio accessible. 

Unclear and to determine is how much "metals" are dissolved in the atmosphere as hydrides. 

At slightly deeper still reachable depths 
there might be a chance that not just nonmetals C,N,O,S,P are present as CH4, NH3, H2O, SH2, PH3 
but also semimetals (mainly Si), thansition metals (Al,Ti,Fe), and (alali metals e.g. Mg) 
are present as hydrides too. 
If so they could be minded by filtering them out and they hopefully replenish from the planets interior by diffusion. 

Several time sthe mass of all terrestiial planets rocky together could be extracted. 
In that case concerns of destabiliing the solar systems orbits wil become of concern, If not earlier already. 

If these non H or He elements do diffuse up in minable quantities 
then they will still be extremely dilute and high effort to filter out. 
An additional effort beside lifting them up and out of the severe gravity wells. 
So this sort of mining would be pretty mucg a last resort effort 
when all other resources are nearing depletion. 

If these non H or He elements do not diffuse up in minable quantities 
then one would literally need to strip the gas giants of most of their hydrogen and helium. 
Which would be an absurdly big task dipping into rather soft SciFi. 
Enough energy could come from fusion power. One transports the fule itself. 
But where to dump it all? Into the Sun?

== Ultimate limits of available space ==

=== On Earth ===

There are unfatomable quantities of stuff on and shallw below Earths surface 
that already take up equally enormous amounts of space. 
That not just in area but in volume. 

One particular example is many km thick salt deposits in the Gulf of Mexico. 
An entire mountainrange added would not make much difference. 

== Related ==

* [[Abundant element]]

== External links ==

* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth%27s_crust Earth's crust]