Manganese Nodules On Ocean Floor

In contrast to ore deposits on land they are thus a two dimensional resource that can theoretically be extracted with relatively little effort.

Manganese nodules on ocean floor.

Ocean mining sites are usually around large areas of polymetallic nodules or active and extinct hydrothermal vents at 1 400 to 3 700 metres 4 600 to 12 100 ft below the ocean s surface. Proponents of mining stress that manganese nodules and cobalt crusts are present as thin layers lying directly on the sea floor or on the flanks of seamounts. The rare earth metal. Though generally composed of manganese hence the name they can also be made of iron nickel copper and other metals.

It is located in the central indian ocean. This recently discovered batch located several hundred miles east of barbados is the largest yet discovered in the atlantic ocean. Manganese nodules are usually located at depths below 4000m and are composed primarily of manganese and iron and elements of economic interest including cobalt copper and nickel and make up a total of around 3 by weight margolis and burns 1976. It is not economical to mine manganese nodules at present day world prices for manganese and associated metals in nodules.

Why is manganese not mined on the seabed given that there are abundant manganese nodules in some parts of the ocean floor. Manganese nodules are polymetallic rock concretions on the sea bottom formed of concentric layers of iron and manganese oxi hydroxides. Manganese nodules are found scattered on the ocean floor. Large areas in the cook islands coastal waters have concentrations of over 25 kilograms of manganese nodules per square metre of sea floor.

So far only a single large area of manganese nodules has been discovered here with an area comparable to that of the penrhyn basin. These nodules occur in most oceans even in some lakes and. Polymetallic nodules like this one made of layers of iron and manganese sit on the deep seabed. Across the otherworldly plains of the clarion clipperton zone some 15 000 ft below the surface of the pacific ocean are clustered manganese nodules the size of potatoes.

As nodules can be found in vast quantities and contain valuable metals deposits have been identified as having economic interest.