Finland Just Found a Treasure That Could Reshape Our Future

Bright Side

Beneath the frozen ground of northern Finland, scientists have found something extraordinary — a discovery that could reshape the world’s future. ❄️⚙️ Hidden under layers of permafrost lies a massive deposit of critical minerals essential for electric cars, renewable energy, and even nuclear technology. It’s a find so valuable that experts are calling it Europe’s energy jackpot. But with every great discovery comes a challenge — environmental risks, politics, and a global race for control. In this video, we’ll uncover what Finland has really found, why it matters, and how it could change the balance of global power. The future of clean energy might just be buried in the Arctic. 🌍💎  Animation is created by Bright Side.  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Music from TheSoul Sound: https://thesoul-sound.com/   Check our Bright Side podcast on Spotify and leave a positive review! https://open.spotify.com/show/0hUkPxD34jRLrMrJux4VxV  Subscribe to Bright Side: https://goo.gl/rQTJZz  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Our Social Media:  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brightplanet/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brightside.official  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@brightside.official?lang=en   Stock materials (photos, footages and other):  https://www.depositphotos.com  https://www.shutterstock.com  https://www.eastnews.ru  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  For more videos and articles visit: http://www.brightside.me  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  This video is made for entertainment purposes. We do not make any warranties about the completeness, safety and reliability. Any action you take upon the information in this video is strictly at your own risk, and we will not be liable for any damages or losses. It is the viewer's responsibility to use judgement, care and precaution if you plan to replicate.

Transcript

00:01Beneath the frozen ground of the northernmost region of Finland lies a discovery with the potential to change the world's future.

00:09From nuclear energy to electric cars, these minerals make it feel like a sci-fi future is just around the corner.

00:17But, as always, it's not that simple. Let's explore why.

00:22All the way up here on the map is a region called Lapland.

00:26A land with only one chair for every two people, so someone has to sit on someone else's lap.

00:32It's a remote snow-covered corner of Finland where reindeer outnumber people who live there.

00:39Here, the night sky glows with the northern lights almost 200 times in a single year.

00:44Oh, and Santa Claus has a house there.

00:47In 1985, Finland declared that Santa lives in Rovaniemi, a town just south of the Arctic Circle in Lapland.

00:56They even built Santa Claus Village, where visitors can meet with them.

01:01You can cross the Arctic Circle line and see his main post office, which receives hundreds of thousands of letters from kids worldwide every year.

01:10So, it's sufficient to say that most people know about this place because of Santa's workshop, rather than scientific news.

01:17But, deep below the ice in Pine Forest is the Sockley Deposit.

01:23It's a massive mineral geological site that's been studied for decades.

01:28It's mostly known for iron and phosphate.

01:31We use iron to make, well, almost everything.

01:35While phosphate mostly ends up as fertilizer to grow our food.

01:38However, recently, surveys revealed rare Earth elements, niobium, and traces of radioactive metals like thorium and uranium.

01:49The possibility of thorium is what made news outlets excited.

01:53Thorium is a naturally occurring, slightly radioactive metal.

01:57It's way more common in the Earth's crust than uranium.

02:01In fact, it's about three to four times as abundant.

02:05Scientists love it, because thorium could be turned into nuclear fuel with huge numbers as the output gain.

02:11A chunk of thorium the size of a golf ball could, in theory, generate as much energy as several tons of coal.

02:19It also comes with some major perks.

02:21Thorium reactors would produce less waste, meaning that thorium is much easier to contain and safer to use.

02:28And it even has an interesting trivia.

02:31Thorium was once used in old-fashioned gas lantern mantles because it glows when heated.

02:37And that's not all.

02:38The Sockley deposit also has other rare minerals that are critical for making magnets that go into wind turbines.

02:46Electric cars.

02:47And even your smartphone.

02:49With the right investment, this single deposit could help Europe build thousands of new wind turbines or power millions of electric car batteries.

02:58So, did Finland and the entire planet just hit the geological lottery?

03:03Well, yes and no.

03:04Today, nuclear plants don't run on thorium.

03:08They run on uranium.

03:10The trusty fuel that has been powering reactors for decades.

03:14The whole system, from mining to reactor design to handling the waste, is built around uranium.

03:20It already provides around 10% of the world's electricity.

03:25In fact, in some countries, like France, it's the main source.

03:28It works, it powers millions of homes, and the industry knows exactly how to handle it.

03:35Thorium does not play by the same rules.

03:38It's not fissile, which means it cannot split and release energy on its own.

03:43Which is a fancy way of saying it needs a little help to become useful.

03:47You cannot just toss it into a regular reactor and expect magic to happen.

03:52That would be like trying to charge a Tesla by pouring gasoline into the tank.

03:57To make thorium work, you'd need different types of reactors and the system that could support them.

04:03One that's expensive, experimental, and not yet ready for prime time.

04:08So yes, Sockley's thorium looks impressive.

04:11It's full of sparkle and promise.

04:13But for now, it is staying underground, waiting for future technologies and investments.

04:18But what about those other rare-earth elements?

04:22Neodymium and praseodymium might be tricky to pronounce, yes they are.

04:27But they're hiding inside almost everything these days.

04:30From earbuds to the massive MRI machines in hospitals.

04:34They drive the motors in electric cars.

04:37And help giant wind turbines spin.

04:40In short, they're everywhere.

04:43And then, there's niobium.

04:45This metal makes steel even stronger.

04:47Add a little niobium, and suddenly, you've got stronger, lighter alloys used in bridges and even rockets.

04:55Today, Europe imports nearly all of it, mainly from Brazil.

04:59If Sockley were developed, Finland could give Europe a homegrown supply.

05:04However, again, it's complicated.

05:07Like I mentioned, Lapland happens to be one of the most beautiful places on the entire planet.

05:11It's one of Europe's last great wildernesses, where pine forests stretch for miles.

05:18And digging up all those materials wouldn't be without consequences.

05:22Mining at this scale could ruin the landscape, upset Santa, or endanger delicate Arctic ecosystems.

05:29After all, we're talking about radioactive elements.

05:32It's not just about nature, though.

05:36Indigenous semi-communities live in Lapland, so they have a voice in what happens.

05:41It's a tricky situation that relies on more research and tech advancements.

05:46Until then, what are some other delicate places that could hide thorium?

05:51Thorium is not that hard to find.

05:54It's tucked away in beach sands and mountain deposits.

05:57But the coolest place to get it would be from the moon.

06:01Back in the 1990s, NASA's Lunar Prospector spacecraft mapped the lunar surface and spotted areas unusually rich in thorium.

06:10Now, that's an incentive for speeding up the future moon missions.

06:13Especially since our satellite probably hides elements like helium-3, which are incredibly rare on our planet.

06:21Mining the moon might be a perfect solution.

06:23Big companies will certainly have way less competition.

06:27But hey, that sounds like a decent challenge for humanity, given that the moon has no atmosphere,

06:33which makes it exposed to radiation and wild temperature changes.

06:36So, we will see.

06:39Meanwhile, let's go back to Earth for another seemingly unrelated discovery.

06:44Going down to the deep ocean seabeds, scientists recently found something pretty surprising.

06:50While exploring the Pacific Abyssal Plains, they discovered polymetallic nodules.

06:55These are potato-sized lumps of metal that are also important for making batteries.

07:00But the cool part is that the nodules seem to be releasing oxygen into the water.

07:06Scientists call it the dark oxygen.

07:09Normally, oxygen comes from photosynthesis, which needs sunlight to reach plants, algae, or bacteria.

07:15But down here, in total darkness, there is no sunlight.

07:20The idea is that these rocks act like tiny batteries.

07:24Their surfaces can create very small electric currents and split water into hydrogen and oxygen.

07:30Basically, these rocks might be quietly breathing oxygen all on their own.

07:35If this is true, it could change how we understand deep-sea life.

07:40Some creatures might not just rely on hydrothermal vents or food falling from above.

07:46They could be getting a secret oxygen boost from the rocks themselves.

07:51Now, research is still new.

07:53And some researchers say this oxygen could be contaminated or just too little in volume to matter.

07:59But if it's real, it means life in the abyss might have a secret oxygen supply we never even knew existed.

08:07Creepy, mysterious, and kind of amazing all at once.

08:10It also makes us wonder about life on other planets.

08:14If rocks on Earth can make oxygen in total darkness,

08:17maybe extraterrestrial oceans on moons like Europa or Enceladus can too.

08:22The universe might be full of secret oxygen factories just waiting to surprise us.

08:29Finally, aside from thorium, Finland recently made headlines with another cool geological discovery.

08:35Scientists found some zircon crystals that washed into rivers.

08:39Then, when they looked closer, they noticed that the chemical signatures didn't match local rocks.

08:45Instead, they traced back to Greenland.

08:48This suggests that part of Scandinavia's ancient base might actually have come from there.

08:54In simpler terms, it's possible that Scandinavia broke off from Greenland

08:59and drifted across the ocean billions of years ago.

09:02This unexpected link makes the Nordic landscape a lot older and more interesting than we previously thought.

09:10Whether the Soakley deposit could power the future with infinite energy remains to be seen.

09:16Each day seems to bring another discovery that inspires conversation and prompts us to learn something new.

09:23Who knows what new technologies or hidden resources the next decade will uncover.

09:29Now, excuse me, since I've learned his address, I have to write a letter to Santa.

09:34I, uh, I'm still trying to get off of his naughty list.

09:36Hey, quick question.

09:40How many continents are there?

09:42Seven?

09:43Maybe five?

09:44There's no correct answer.

09:45According to different approaches, the range is between four to seven.

09:49But it might actually be as many as eight.

09:52Chances are, a lost continent has recently been found between Greenland and Canada.

09:58This new continent discovery could also potentially be the key to how microcontinents form.

10:03What does this all mean, and what makes this hidden landmass near Greenland so important?

10:09Now, if you're like me, and if you are, then there's two of us.

10:12When you hear the word continent, you probably think of land like Europe or Africa, places above water where people live.

10:20But in science, a continent isn't about being above sea level.

10:24It's about what the land is made of.

10:26Earth's outer layer, called the crust, comes in two main types, continental and oceanic.

10:34Continental one is thicker, lighter, and made of different types of rock, like granite.

10:39The oceanic crust is thinner, heavier, and made mostly of dark volcanic rock.

10:45Now, the discovery under the Davis Strait, between Greenland and Canada,

10:49appears to be a piece of continental landmass, even though it's under the ocean.

10:53Scientists call it a proto-microcontinent, because it began to break off from a larger terrain millions of years ago,

11:01but never quite made it.

11:03As tectonic plates slowly shifted, the Earth's crust in this region stretched and cracked.

11:08One chunk started to split away, but for some reason, the process stopped.

11:13It didn't drift off like a full continent, and it didn't sink like ocean crust either.

11:18Instead, it stayed right there, floating beneath the waves all this time.

11:24This makes it different from true microcontinents, like Zealandia,

11:28which have completely detached and now exist as separate tectonic blocks.

11:34Zealandia is a submerged microcontinent near New Zealand.

11:37About 94% of it lies underwater.

11:40But because it's made of continental crust, many geologists say it qualifies as Earth's eighth continent.

11:46However, Zealandia is still debated, because it's too big to be a microcontinent,

11:52and there's no official global body to define its status.

11:55There's no global organization like the UN or some kind of International Geology Council

12:00that can declare, hey, this is a new continent.

12:04Unlike Madagascar, which is fully above sea level and widely accepted by geologists

12:09as a classic example of a microcontinent,

12:12Zealandia is still waiting for a proper label.

12:14I know, you're probably wondering, isn't Madagascar an island?

12:19The simple answer is, it's both.

12:21It's the fourth largest island in the world, completely surrounded by water.

12:26But it's also geologically considered a microcontinent,

12:29because it broke off from the supercontinent Ganwanda around 88 million years ago,

12:34and is made of continental crust, not oceanic crust.

12:37Unlike volcanic islands like Hawaii, this isn't just built from lava.

12:42It's a real piece of ancient continental crust.

12:45So, Madagascar checks both boxes.

12:48Island by geography, microcontinent by geology.

12:52And that's exactly why these discoveries can be fascinating.

12:56Just like Madagascar stands out above the waves,

12:59this newly discovered landmass under the Davis Strait

13:03stands out beneath them, thanks to its unusual structure.

13:06What makes it stand out is its unusual thickness.

13:10Most of the ocean floor is thin, like metal.

13:13This is more like packed clay, layered with continental materials.

13:17Underneath this cozy comforter, scientists discovered some odd layers of rock.

13:22Unusual, because they're not where they should be.

13:25These layers act more like the materials found on continents,

13:29rather than those typically seen on ocean floors.

13:31There are hints of granite-like formations and distinct magnetic properties,

13:36which suggest that this stuff is similar to what makes up dry land.

13:41The size is also remarkable.

13:43The proto-microcontinent is about 12 to 15 miles across,

13:47which makes it roughly the size of a mid-sized city,

13:50like Manhattan Island that's 6,500 feet underwater.

13:53The fact that it sits right under the Davis Strait,

13:57one of the widest ocean passages on Earth,

14:00makes it one of the largest submerged continental fragments we've found.

14:04According to researchers, this landmass began to form between 58 and 49 million years ago,

14:10when Greenland and Canada were slowly drifting apart.

14:13Maybe they just weren't getting along.

14:15It happens.

14:16As they pulled apart, the crust under the Davis Strait stretched,

14:20and one of the main fault lines shifted.

14:23But the breakup didn't finish.

14:25Around 48 million years ago, the rifting stalled,

14:28and Greenland's motion away from Canada slowed dramatically,

14:32when it later bumped into Ellsmore Island.

14:35It's like a car swerving off and then back onto the freeway,

14:38a turn that was never completed.

14:41That's basically what happened.

14:42A chunk of land got stuck between the motion.

14:45It didn't float off into the ocean like a new continent,

14:48and it didn't get pulled down into the Earth either.

14:51It just stayed where it was, stranded beneath the water.

14:54But that's not all.

14:56This chunk has its own fault system.

14:58And scientists say it actually looks like a miniature version

15:01of the San Andreas Fault in California.

15:04Now, a fault is basically a crack in the Earth's crust

15:07where sections of rock slide past each other.

15:10Think of it as a place where the Earth's surface split

15:12and try to slide sideways.

15:14In California, this movement still happens today

15:17and can cause earthquakes.

15:19But under the Davis Strait, it's a different story.

15:22The movement started, then suddenly stopped,

15:25like hitting pause in the middle of a big shift.

15:28It's a frozen moment in the planet's past,

15:31preserved right beneath the waves.

15:33For geologists, that makes the microcontinent

15:35under Davis Strait incredibly valuable.

15:38That sudden pause in motion helps explain

15:41why some chunks of land break away cleanly

15:43while others twist, stall, or disappear.

15:47But this isn't just academic.

15:49By studying how continents break apart or stall,

15:53scientists can better predict future shifts in land,

15:55fault lines, and seismic activity.

15:57And predicting earthquakes and geological hazards

16:01could prove quite valuable to everyone.

16:04Knowing how microcontinents form could help us anticipate

16:07how the planet's surface might shift over millions of years,

16:11which affects everything from climate models

16:13to resource availability.

16:14But even just the technological advancement needed

16:18for such discoveries is greatly beneficial.

16:21The same tools used to map this hidden land

16:23are used for oil exploration,

16:25laying undersea cables, climate monitoring,

16:28and even search and rescue missions.

16:30Speaking of technology, for a long time,

16:33this hidden landmass near Greenland remained invisible.

16:36Just 10 or 15 years ago,

16:38the ocean floor under the Davis Strait

16:40was basically a mystery.

16:41It's deep, almost frozen,

16:44obviously not the easiest place to explore.

16:47But today, thanks to modern tools,

16:49a new continent discovery could be just a matter of time.

16:53Scientists can finally see and hear

16:55what's going on under all that water.

16:58First, they use seismic reflection imaging.

17:01That's a method where ships send sound waves

17:03down to the ocean floor and record how they bounce back.

17:07Various layers of rock reflect sounds in different ways,

17:09which helps build a picture of what's hidden underneath.

17:13It's kind of like how bats use echoes to see in the dark.

17:17Satellites also play a role in collecting gravity data.

17:20This may sound strange,

17:21but different types of rocks have slightly different weights.

17:25Heavier rocks create stronger gravitational pull,

17:28and satellites can measure those tiny differences.

17:31Another tool commonly used for these explorations

17:34is underwater sensors,

17:36which sit quietly on the seafloor

17:37and listen for natural vibrations,

17:40like many earthquakes or shifts in rock.

17:43These vibrations help scientists figure out

17:45what the crust is made of and how thick it is.

17:48They're basically ears on the ocean floor.

17:51They also most likely used AUVs,

17:54or autonomous underwater vehicles,

17:56basically robot submarines

17:58that can scan the seafloor in high resolution,

18:00even under thick ice.

18:02In any case, scientists are very excited

18:05because this new continent discovery

18:07is more than just a geological surprise.

18:10It's what they call a natural laboratory.

18:13The study of the microcontinent Davis Strait

18:15offers a rare opportunity to understand

18:17how microcontinents form, evolve,

18:20and sometimes fail to fully separate.

18:23It also reminds us that Earth's crust

18:25isn't as neatly divided as we once thought.

18:28Beneath the ocean,

18:29there may be other hidden landmasses

18:31near Greenland or elsewhere.

18:33Almost continents,

18:34just waiting to be found.

18:36This lost continent of Canada

18:38may not have made it

18:39as a fully-fledged landmass,

18:41but its discovery is already

18:43reshaping how we view plate tectonics.

18:46And thanks to advances in technology,

18:48places we once ignored

18:50are now offering up secrets

18:51about the planet's deep past

18:53and maybe even its future.

18:55That's it for today.

18:57So hey, if you pacified your curiosity,

19:00then give the video a like

19:01and share it with your friends.

19:02Or if you want more,

19:03just click on these videos

19:04and stay on the Bright Side!

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