Mining Deep Ocean Manganese Nodules

Mining Deep Ocean Manganese Nodules

The Geochemistry of Manganese and Manganese Nodules in the Ocean

Manganese nodules were first discovered on the ocean floor 160 miles south-west of the Canary Islands on February 18, 1803, during the first complex oceano logical cruise of the Challenger. They surprised researchers by their unusual shape and also by their unusual chemical composition; nevertheless for many years after wards, they were considered merely as one of Nature's exotic marine tricks. After the Secpnd World War, a comprehensive investigation of the World Ocean started, and new data were obtained on a wide distribution of manganese nodules and their polymetallic composition, that made scientists consider nodules as one of the major characteristics of the deep oceanic zone. Recently, meaning since the 1960's, nodules have been recognized as a potential ore source, investigation of which is stimulated by the progressive depletion of land-based mineral resources. Several generations of scientists from various countries have contributed to the problem of exploration of manganese nodules on the ocean floor. Though the problem has been posed, it has not been solved yet because it required, in its turn, a scrutiny of some fundamental aspects such as composition, nature, accretion r'ate of nodules and retrieval of nodule fields. These problems have been discussed in thousands of papers and larger publications; see, in particulare, Mero, 1965; Horn, 1972; Morgenstein, 1973; Bezrukov, 1976; Glasby, 1977; Bischoff and Piper, 1979; Lalou, 1979; Manganese nodules, 1979; Varentsov, 1980; Cronan, 1980; Manganese nodules . . . , 1984, 1986.

Handbook of Marine Mineral Deposits

This handbook summarizes the main advances in our understanding of marine minerals and concentrates on the deposits of proven economic potential. In cases where our knowledge may be too limited to allow defining of their economic potential, those minerals are covered regionally or by deposit type. Handbook of Marine Mineral Deposits is divided into three sections; Marine placers, manganese nodules and crusts, and deep-sea hydrothermal mineralization. All of these mineral deposits have great potential importance to economic geologists and marine mines. Edited by an acknowledged expert in the field, this handbook includes work by internationally renowned contributors. The new United Nations Law of the Sea, ratified by over 100 countries within the past two years, provides a framework and guidelines for deep-sea mineral exploration that increases international interest in this book. The Handbook serves as a platform from which to launch the more detailed evaluation studies that will need to take place in the 21st century before recovery can continue or commence. Handbook of Marine Mineral Deposits is useful to mineralogists, economic geologists, marine geologists, marine miners, and conservationists. Features