- 7 weeks ago
❄️ Deep under the Arctic ice, Canada is sitting on a resource that could change everything. Scientists and economists say this hidden treasure could reshape global power and energy markets. It’s not gold, and it’s not oil - it’s something even more strategic. As the Arctic melts, access to it becomes easier and way more controversial. In this video, we explain what the Arctic treasure is and why it could turn Canada into a superpower. Animation is created by Bright Side.
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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
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Our Social Media:
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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
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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.
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00:00Some places don't look important until the world realizes they hold the keys to the future.
00:07That's the case with Canada's Arctic.
00:10For most of history, it was just ice, snow, rocks, caribou, and even more ice.
00:16But now, it's about to become one of the most important places on Earth, and maybe make Canada a global superpower.
00:23Why? Because it's hiding minerals that power electric vehicles, satellites, and missile systems, while the demand is skyrocketing.
00:32However, it's not just mining and having resources. It's also about control.
00:38Right now, China has a massive head start because it refines over 90% of the world's rare Earths.
00:44That means if you want to launch a satellite, manufacture advanced electronics, or even just keep the lights on in your fancy smart home,
00:52odds are, you're relying on China.
00:56And that makes a lot of world powers very nervous.
00:59Because when everything's going electric, the last thing you need is being dependent on your geopolitical rival.
01:05So now, the global cleantech treasure hunt is officially on.
01:09The US, Europe, Japan, Australia, they're all competing.
01:14However, the latest technology and untapped potential might give Canada the upper hand.
01:20Canada's had these minerals for decades.
01:23But with low prices, tough terrain, and no global rush, they mostly stayed untouched.
01:28However, Ottawa is finally stepping up its game.
01:32Back in 2022, Canada rolled out the critical mineral strategy with billions in funding and tax perks to get companies digging.
01:40There's also plans to build the necessary roads, ports, and power lines to tap into those remote deposits up north.
01:47Canada already produces more than 60 minerals and metals, but 31 of them are now considered critical.
01:55Six of those are having VIP treatment.
01:58Lithium, graphite, nickel, cobalt, copper, and rare earth elements.
02:03But digging it up is just step one.
02:06The real plan?
02:07Keep it local.
02:08Melt that frozen treasure into shiny new batteries right at home.
02:12That means not just mines, but also refineries, processing centers, and high-tech factories popping up where there used to be nothing but snowdrifts and silence.
02:22While others are talking, Canada's busy paving roads and stringing power lines.
02:28Slowly, but surely, they're turning snowfields into a high-tech playground.
02:33Getting to all that buried treasure used to be nearly impossible.
02:36After all, we're talking about land so remote that roads literally stop hundreds of miles too early.
02:43The ground is frozen solid for most of the year.
02:46And even if you found something valuable, just getting out was a logistical nightmare.
02:51So what changed?
02:52Canada has an ace up its sleeve.
02:55Don't know about you, but I use it mainly for making memes and music.
02:59But geologists?
03:00They're scanning the Arctic like it's Minecraft with X-ray vision.
03:04Instead of drilling blind, they're using decades-old core samples, plugging them into AI and getting shockingly accurate predictions about what's underground.
03:14It's like upgrading from a pirate's treasure map to a GPS that actually says, dig here.
03:21Companies like Geologic AI and Cobalt Metals are already doing this, pouring data into AI and getting X marks the spot hits for nickel, cobalt, and rare earths.
03:32In the Northwest Territories, Canada is running a pilot lab that uses AI and digital scanning to reanalyze decades-old rock samples.
03:41The goal is to spot hidden mineral deposits that old methods might have missed without digging a single new hole.
03:49All that sounds great, but maybe I made it sound simpler than it is.
03:54Digging up the Arctic is a logistical nightmare.
03:57For starters, this isn't just a remote patch of land.
04:00The Canadian Arctic is huge.
04:03Almost half the country stretching over Yukon, the Northwest Territories, and Nunavut.
04:08We're talking about a region larger than India with fewer people than a small city.
04:13Most of it is permafrost, wilderness, or ice-covered islands scattered across the Arctic archipelago.
04:20Temperatures go from barely 50 degrees Fahrenheit during summer to negative 40 degrees Fahrenheit or colder, with ground that stays frozen for most of the year.
04:32Fun fact! Did you know that negative 40 degrees happens to be the same as negative 40 degrees Celsius?
04:39It's the one temperature where both scales intersect.
04:42They climb at different rates, but eventually cross paths when it gets cold enough.
04:47Just a small trivia nugget for weather nerds like me.
04:50Anyways, you can't just roll in a truck and break ground in the Arctic. Up there, roads just stop.
04:57Want to build something? It can take years, and one nasty winter can put everything on ice.
05:03And if you want to continue up north, you need more of everything.
05:07More food, more fuel, more machines. Which means even more money.
05:12Speaking of money, another chilling fact is how much this all costs.
05:17Mining in the far north is way more expensive than doing it in, say, Australia or Chile.
05:23An AI might tell you where the minerals are, but people and big machines still have to dig, and that costs a fortune.
05:32But that's not all. Most of the Canadian north is indigenous land.
05:36First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities have lived there for thousands of years.
05:41And mineral hotspots often sit right on their ancestral grounds.
05:46So when Canada talks about unlocking the Arctic, it's not just a question of roads and robots.
05:51It's a question of partnership and collaboration.
05:54And that's not optional. Legally, projects on indigenous land require consultation and, in many cases, consent.
06:03The good news? Some communities aren't just involved, they're leading the way.
06:08In regions like Nunavut and the Northwest Territories, indigenous-owned corporations and world powers are already shaping how development happens on their terms.
06:17If Canada wants to pull this off, it's going to need more than tech and funding. It's going to need trust.
06:24So with all that in mind, can Canada pull this off? Honestly?
06:29With technological advancements and partnerships, it doesn't seem impossible.
06:33But Canada isn't just doing one thing right. It's doing a bunch of things at the same time.
06:39Let's recap. Hidden resources? Checked. New strategy? In place. Big funding? Approved.
06:47AI tools? Deployed. Indigenous partnerships? Underway. Infrastructure? Already breaking ground.
06:54It's a snowball turning into an avalanche. Exploration boosts investment. Investment speeds up roads. Roads unlock more deposits.
07:03More deposits attract more factories. It's a feedback loop. And if they keep feeding it, the whole Arctic operation could go from an idea to empire faster than anyone expects.
07:15Giving a whole new meaning to the phrase, frozen assets. But this doesn't just help Canada. It could save the U.S. a whole lot of trouble.
07:24If all goes to plan, the U.S. won't need to ship rare earths halfway across the planet. It can just look north, wave at the caribou, and get what it needs from its closest neighbor.
07:34That's why the U.S. has publicly backed the effort, offering support and funding to help build a trusted North American supply chain.
07:42For Canada, this could be the moment it stops being just a supplier of raw materials and starts becoming a critical power broker in the clean tech economy.
07:51For the U.S., it's like discovering your neighbor has been secretly building a battery factory in their backyard while you were building electric vehicles.
08:00And globally? Well, the abundance of resources tends to lower the prices. And that's always a good thing for us regular people.
08:08Cheaper cobalt, nickel, and lithium mean cheaper batteries. And cheaper batteries mean more affordable electric vehicles, energy storage, phones, laptops, the works.
08:19Now don't get too excited just yet. Like we said, mining in the Arctic isn't cheap. But in theory, once Canada's clean tech engine is fully up and humming, more supply and shorter supply chains should gradually bring costs down.
08:33And it's not just about price tags. It's about stability. Right now, if one country cuts exports or gets caught in politics, everything down the line gets shaky.
08:44But with Canada stepping in as a reliable supplier, the global system might get a bit more breathing room. Manufacturers can stop sweating over single points of failure and start building with confidence.
08:57Hey, quick question. How many continents are there? Seven? Maybe five? There's no correct answer. According to different approaches, the range is between four to seven. But it might actually be as many as eight. Chances are, a lost continent has recently been found between Greenland and Canada.
09:17This new continent discovery could also potentially be the key to how microcontinents form. What does this all mean? And what makes this hidden landmass near Greenland so important?
09:28Now, if you're like me, and if you are, then there's two of us. When you hear the word continent, you probably think of land like Europe or Africa. Places above water where people live.
09:39But in science, a continent isn't about being above sea level. It's about what the land is made of. Earth's outer layer, called the crust, comes in two main types, continental and oceanic.
09:52Continental one is thicker, lighter, and made of different types of rock, like granite. The oceanic crust is thinner, heavier, and made mostly of dark volcanic rock.
10:03Now, the discovery under the Davis Strait, between Greenland and Canada, appears to be a piece of continental landmass, even though it's under the ocean.
10:13Scientists call it a proto-microcontinent, because it began to break off from a larger terrain millions of years ago, but never quite made it.
10:22As tectonic plates slowly shifted, the Earth's crust in this region stretched and cracked.
10:28The ocean chunk started to split away, but for some reason, the process stopped. It didn't drift off like a full continent, and it didn't sink like ocean crust either. Instead, it stayed right there, floating beneath the waves all this time.
10:43This makes it different from true microcontinents, like Zealandia, which have completely detached and now exist as separate tectonic blocks.
10:53Zealandia is a submerged microcontinent near New Zealand. About 94% of it lies underwater.
10:59But because it's made of continental crust, many geologists say it qualifies as Earth's eighth continent.
11:06However, Zealandia is still debated because it's too big to be a microcontinent, and there's no official global body to define its status.
11:14There's no global organization like the UN or some kind of International Geology Council that can declare, hey, this is a new continent.
11:22Unlike Madagascar, which is fully above sea level and widely accepted by geologists as a classic example of a microcontinent, Zealandia is still waiting for a proper label.
11:34I know, you're probably wondering, isn't Madagascar an island?
11:38The simple answer is, it's both. It's the fourth largest island in the world, completely surrounded by water.
11:44But it's also geologically considered a microcontinent because it broke off from the supercontinent Ganwanda around 88 million years ago and is made of continental crust, not oceanic crust.
11:56Unlike volcanic islands like Hawaii, this isn't just built from lava, it's a real piece of ancient continental crust.
12:04So, Madagascar checks both boxes, island by geography, microcontinent by geology.
12:11And that's exactly why these discoveries can be fascinating.
12:15Just like Madagascar stands out above the waves, this newly discovered landmass under the Davis Strait stands out beneath them, thanks to its unusual structure.
12:26What makes it stand out is its unusual thickness.
12:29Most of the ocean floor is thin, like metal.
12:32This is more like packed clay, layered with continental materials.
12:36Underneath this cozy comforter, scientists discovered some odd layers of rock, unusual because they're not where they should be.
12:44These layers act more like the materials found on continents rather than those typically seen on ocean floors.
12:50There are hints of granite-like formations and distinct magnetic properties, which suggest that this stuff is similar to what makes up dry land.
12:59The size is also remarkable.
13:02The proto-microcontinent is about 12 to 15 miles across, which makes it roughly the size of a mid-sized city.
13:09Like Manhattan Island, that's 6,500 feet underwater.
13:12The fact that it sits right under the Davis Strait, one of the widest ocean passages on Earth, makes it one of the largest submerged continental fragments we've found.
13:22According to researchers, this landmass began to form between 58 and 49 million years ago, when Greenland and Canada were slowly drifting apart.
13:32Maybe they just weren't getting along.
13:34It happens.
13:35As they pulled apart, the crust under the Davis Strait stretched, and one of the main fault lines shifted.
13:41But the breakup didn't finish.
13:43Around 48 million years ago, the rifting stalled, and Greenland's motion away from Canada slowed dramatically when it later bumped into Ellesmere Island.
13:54It's like a car swerving off and then back onto the freeway, a turn that was never completed.
14:00That's basically what happened.
14:01A chunk of land got stuck between the motion.
14:04It didn't float off into the ocean like a new continent, and it didn't get pulled down into the Earth, either.
14:10It just stayed where it was, stranded beneath the water.
14:14But that's not all.
14:15This chunk has its own fault system.
14:17And scientists say it actually looks like a miniature version of the San Andreas Fault in California.
14:23A fault is basically a crack in the Earth's crust where sections of rock slide past each other.
14:29Think of it as a place where the Earth's surface split and try to slide sideways.
14:34In California, this movement still happens today and can cause earthquakes.
14:38But under the Davis Strait, it's a different story.
14:41The movement started, then suddenly stopped, like hitting pause in the middle of a big shift.
14:47It's a frozen moment in the planet's past, preserved right beneath the waves.
14:52For geologists, that makes the microcontinent under Davis Strait incredibly valuable.
14:57That sudden pause in motion helps explain why some chunks of land break away cleanly, while others twist, stall, or disappear.
15:06But this isn't just academic.
15:08By studying how continents break apart or stall, scientists can better predict future shifts in land, fault lines, and seismic activity.
15:17And predicting earthquakes and geological hazards could prove quite valuable to everyone.
15:22Knowing how microcontinents form could help us anticipate how the planet's surface might shift over millions of years,
15:29which affects everything from climate models to resource availability.
15:34But even just the technological advancement needed for such discoveries is greatly beneficial.
15:39The same tools used to map this hidden land are used for oil exploration, laying undersea cables, climate monitoring, and even search and rescue missions.
15:49Speaking of technology, for a long time, this hidden landmass near Greenland remained invisible.
15:55Just 10 or 15 years ago, the ocean floor under the Davis Strait was basically a mystery.
16:01It's deep, almost frozen, obviously not the easiest place to explore.
16:06But today, thanks to modern tools, a new continent discovery could be just a matter of time.
16:12Scientists can finally see and hear what's going on under all that water.
16:17First, they use seismic reflection imaging.
16:19That's a method where ships send sound waves down to the ocean floor and record how they bounce back.
16:26Various layers of rock reflect sounds in different ways, which helps build a picture of what's hidden underneath.
16:32It's kind of like how bats use echoes to see in the dark.
16:36Satellites also play a role in collecting gravity data.
16:39This may sound strange, but different types of rocks have slightly different weights.
16:44Heavier rocks create stronger gravitational pull, and satellites can measure those tiny differences.
16:50Another tool commonly used for these explorations is underwater sensors, which sit quietly on the seafloor
16:57and listen for natural vibrations, like many earthquakes or shifts in rock.
17:02These vibrations help scientists figure out what the crust is made of and how thick it is.
17:07They're basically ears on the ocean floor.
17:10They also most likely used AUVs, or autonomous underwater vehicles.
17:15Basically, robot submarines that can scan the seafloor in high resolution, even under thick ice.
17:21In any case, scientists are very excited because this new continent discovery is more than just a geological surprise.
17:28It's what they call a natural laboratory.
17:31The study of the microcontinent Davis Strait offers a rare opportunity to understand how microcontinents form, evolve, and sometimes fail to fully separate.
17:42It also reminds us that Earth's crust isn't as neatly divided as we once thought.
17:47Beneath the ocean, there may be other hidden landmasses near Greenland or elsewhere.
17:52Almost continents just waiting to be found.
17:55This lost continent of Canada may not have made it as a fully-fledged landmass, but its discovery is already reshaping how we view plate tectonics.
18:05And thanks to advances in technology, places we once ignored are now offering up secrets about the planet's deep past, and maybe even its future.
18:14That's it for today!
18:16So hey, if you pacified your curiosity, then give the video a like and share it with your friends.
18:21Or if you want more, just click on these videos and stay on the Bright Side!
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