Ocean-floor manganese nodules

Mero, John L.

doi:10.2113/gsecongeo.57.5.747

Cited by 109 publications

(50 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…As already mentioned, manganese nodules are commonly found in close association with volcanic materials (Murray and Renard, 1891;Petterson, 1945;Mero, 1962;and others). Goldberg and Arrhenius (1958) and Arrhenius (1963) explain this fact as indicating merely a low rate of deposition of detrital matter in these areas, where as a result components such as authigenic minerals and residual volcanics would concentrate, which otherwise would be dispersed in the more abundant detrital sediment.…”

Section: Association Oj the Nodules With Volcanicsmentioning

confidence: 91%

“…Many nodules, with a more or less spherical shape, have their whole surface completely covered by a thick crust of ferromanganese oxides, even if only the upper part of their surface was in full contact with the bottom water while lying on the ocean floor. To avoid this difficulty Mero (1962) suggested that the nodules are frequently overturned by bottom feeding organisms. As every part of their surface would thus be periodically exposed to the water, this would explain their symmetric growth.…”

Section: Enrico Bonatti and Y'rammohanroy Nayudumentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Since their discovery in the past century by Murray and Renard of the Challenger Expedition, therc has been considerable interest in them. The unique chemical and mineralogical peculiarities of the so-called "manganese nodules" have been dealt with in many studies; reference to them may be found in Mero (1962) and Arrhenius (1963). There has been much speculation as to the origin and the mechanisms involved in the formation of these nodules.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The origin of manganese nodules on the ocean floor

1965

Deep Sea Research and Oceanographic Abstracts

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ABSTRACT. Ferromanganese oxide minerals are among the most common components of large areas of the ocean floor. Their chemical and mineralogical peculiarities have long stimulated considerable interest. A brief review of various theories on the origin of these minerals is presented.Petrologic studies of some of the manganese nodules from the Pacific Ocean are reported, which show the existence in the nodules of a close association between ferro· manganese oxide phases and products of submarine volcanic effusions. Such an association ean be explained admitting some genetical connection between deep-sea lava effusions and the nodules. These results, together with observations on their distribution and chemistry, do not seem to agree with the hypothesis which assumes a slow accretion of the nodules, owing to chemical deposition of manganese and related elements from normal sea water. It is instead suggested that the majority of manganese nodules from the Pacific Ocean bottom are formed as a consequence of submarine volcanism. Strong interaction between hot lavas and sea water takes place in many submarine volcanic effusions. As a result large quantities of iron, manganese, and other elements are leached out of the lava. Manganese is partially separated from iron, and the bulk of it is then precipitated on the ocean floor in the vicinity of the effusion, thus forming the nodules. Some geochemical implications of this hypothesis are also discussed briefly.

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Section: Association Oj the Nodules With Volcanicsmentioning

confidence: 91%

Section: Enrico Bonatti and Y'rammohanroy Nayudumentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The origin of manganese nodules on the ocean floor

1965

Deep Sea Research and Oceanographic Abstracts

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“…These ecological prerequisites may explain why the most abundant (and economically interesting) deposits have been recorded north and south of the equator in the Pacific Ocean. So far, the minimum abundance of nodules required to start mining has been estimated as Mero (1962); see also Hubred (1975) and Cronan (1977Cronan ( , 1978 8000 tons/km 2 with metal contents (weight % of dry material) of 1.25-1.40 % Ni, 0.05-1.35 % Cu, 0.18-0.25 % Co and 25-28 % Mn (Pellerer, 1975~ Cronan, 1978. These trace elements are intimately intermixed with the concentric layered amorphous and (crypto)-crystalline Mn (IV) and Pe (III) oxides as well as with other Mn and Be phases (Crerar & Barnes, 1974;Hubred, 1975;Priedrich et al, 1977).…”

Section: Distribution and Compositionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Approximately 100 years ago, the first manganese nodules were discovered by the British research vessel "Challenger" on the botton of the Atlantic Ocean at depths between 4000 and 5000 m. However, not until the mid-sixties was the economic importance of these -in fact polymetallic-concretions recognized (Mero, 1962). Because of the relativly high content of nickel, copper, cobalt and manganese (Table 1), these mineral accretions may become increasingly important, since the terrestrial sources of these essential elements may run short within a very limited period of time.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reductive microbial dissolution of manganese nodules as a possible hazard of deep-sea mining

Schütt

Ottow

1980

Helgolander Meeresunters

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The microbial lysis of deep-sea nodules as a possible result of large-scale, deep-sea mining is considered. It is assumed that the Mn (IV} and Fe (III) compounds of the manganese nodules are reduced by the numerous aerobic bacteria at the sediment/water interface as soon as the adjacent nodule area is buried by sedimentation of the disturbed deposits and the organic-rich debris from the blooming surface plankton. Intensive mineralization processes in the resettled sediments cause oxygen depletion. Subsequently, the aerobic (and anaerobic) microorganisms will switch to Mn (IV) and Fe (III) oxides as alternative electron acceptors in order to continue their energy-conserving (ATP synthesis) reactions (anaerobic respiration). The higher the amount of decomposable organic matter, the more intensive are these processes. Consequently, buried manganese nodules may be dissolved, thereby liberating mobile Mn (II), He (II) and several trace elements (Ni, Cu, Co and others). This possible hazard and its ecological consequences should be evaluated carefully before deep-sea mining is started on a large scale.

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Bacteriology of manganese nodules. VI. Fate of copper, nickel, cobalt, and iron during bacterial and chemical reduction of the manganese (IV)

Ehrlich

Yang

Mainwaring

1973

J of Basic Microbiology

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Copper, nickel, and cobalt entered into seawater solution while the manganese (IV) oxide matrix of marine ferromanganese nodules to which they were bound was being reduced by glucose in the presence of peptone. Negligible amounts of iron were solubilized under similar conditions. Bacillus GJ 33 significantly accelerated the reduction and solubilization of manganese (IV) oxide by chemical means and thereby also accelerated the solubilization of nickel and cobalt, and, in advanced stages, of copper. Nickel and cobalt solubilization were directly dependent on manganese (IV) oxide reduction and solubilization while copper solubilization was only partly dependent on it. Some copper in the ferromanganese nodule substance was solubilized as a result of complexing by peptone without concurrent manganese (IV) oxide reduction. The release of manganese, copper, or nickel (cobalt was not tested) could not be attributed to acid formation during glucose oxidation by manganese (IV) oxide regardless of whether the reaction was purely chemical or catalyzed by bacteria. These findings suggest that nickel and cobalt are more tightly bound to the manganese (IV) oxide matrix than copper. An adsorption experiment showed that manganese, copper and nickel could originally have entered the nodule matrix by adsorption.

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Ocean-floor manganese nodules

Cited by 109 publications

References 7 publications

The origin of manganese nodules on the ocean floor

The origin of manganese nodules on the ocean floor

Reductive microbial dissolution of manganese nodules as a possible hazard of deep-sea mining

Bacteriology of manganese nodules. VI. Fate of copper, nickel, cobalt, and iron during bacterial and chemical reduction of the manganese (IV)

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