The economics of mining seabed manganese nodules: A case study of the Indian Ocean nodule field

Abstract

Because of ever-growing demand for strategic metals, the focus of the international community has fallen on deep sea manganese nodules occurring at a water depth of more than 4500?m. We present an economic appraisal and strategy for mining of nodules from the Indian Ocean Nodule Field- one of the four economically potential areas in the world oceans. In contrast to the prevailing perception of non-viability of nodule mining, our analysis indicates a fair degree of economic feasibility and commercial sustainability to mine the deep-sea manganese nodules.     

A pre-edge analysis of Mn K-edge XANES spectra to help determine the speciation of manganese in minerals and glasses

High-resolution manganese K-edge X-ray absorption near edge structure spectra were collected on a set of 40 Mn-bearing minerals. The pre-edge feature information (position, area) was investigated to extract as much as possible quantitative valence and symmetry information for manganese in various “test” and “unknown” minerals and glasses. The samples present a range of manganese symmetry environments (tetrahedral, square planar, octahedral, and cubic) and valences (II to VII). The extraction of the pre-edge information is based on a previous multiple scattering and multiplet calculations for model compounds. Using the method described in this study, a robust estimation of the manganese valence could be obtained from the pre-edge region at 5% accuracy level. This method applied to 20 “test” compounds (such as hausmannite and rancieite) and to 15 “unknown” compounds (such as axinite and birnessite) provides a quantitative estimate of the average valence of manganese in complex minerals and silicate glasses. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Geological and geochemical constraints on the Cheshmeh-Frezi volcanogenic stratiform manganese deposit,southwest Sabzevar basin,Iran

The Cheshmeh-Frezi Mn deposit belongs to the southwest Sabzevar basin to the north of the Central Iranian microcontinent. This basin, which hosts abundant mineral deposits including Mn exhalative and Besshi-type Cu-Zn volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits, followed an evolution closely related to the subduction of the Neo-Tethys oceanic crust beneath the Central Iranian microcontinent. Two major sedimentary sequences are recorded within this basin: (I) the Lower Late Cretaceous volcano-sedimentary sequence (LLCVSS) and (II) the Upper Late Cretaceous sedimentary dominated sequence (ULCSS). The Cheshmeh-Frezi Mn deposit is hosted within red tuff with interbeds of green tuffaceous sandstone of the LLCVSS. Mineralization occurs as stratiform blanket-like and tabular orebodies. Psilomelane, pyrolusite and braunite are the main minerals of the ore, which display a variety of textures. Such as layered, laminated, disseminated, massive, replacement or open space fillings. The footwall and hanging-wall volcanic rocks are predominantly andesite and trachyandesite rocks. Footwall and hangingwall volcanic rocks at Cheshmeh-Frezi are enriched in light rare earth elements (LREEs) compared to chondrite, have steep REE patterns, and generally show Ta and Nb depletions relative to chondrite which are characteristic of back-arc environments. The significant geochemical characteristics of ore such as high Mn content (12.41–33.14 wt%; average 19.41 wt%), low concentration of Fe (0.64–2.27 wt%; average 1.63 wt%), high Ba (49.7–9901 ppm, average 2728.67 ppm), LREE > HREE, and negative Ce and Eu anomalies reveal a primary distal hydrothermal-exhalative source for mineralization. Cheshmeh-Frezi deposit, in comparison with different types of volcanogenic manganese deposits shows broad similarities with the Cuban-type Mn deposits such as tectonic, host and associated rock types, geometry, textures, structures, mineralogy and lithogeochemistry.     

新疆阿克陶玛尔坎苏锰成矿带地质特征及成矿条件分析

玛尔坎苏锰成矿带沿玛尔坎苏河上游分布,东西延伸超过40 km。该成矿带以石炭系细碎屑岩-碳酸盐岩沉积建造为主,属典型的海相沉积型锰矿。锰矿带含矿层位稳定,矿体厚度大(最厚30.61 m),品位富(平均品位24%～35%,最高68.5%),矿石矿物以菱锰矿为主,属于低铁中磷类型。综合分析认为玛尔坎苏锰成矿带形成于滨浅海环境,成锰期处于一种安静、还原的水体环境。锰质来源以深源物质为主,与火山活动、热水活动关系密切。     

茶园土壤pH值对茶叶从土壤中吸收锰的影响

探讨了我国主要产茶区 13个茶园不同叶龄茶叶锰含量的分布规律 ,土壤 0 .0 2mol/LCaCl2 提取的活性锰与土壤 pH的关系及茶叶锰含量与土壤 pH、土壤活性锰的关系。结果表明 :不同叶龄茶叶锰含量的分布规律为老叶 >成叶 >嫩叶 ;茶叶锰含量和土壤活性锰与土壤pH均呈显著负相关关系 ;茶叶锰含量与土壤活性锰呈显著正相关关系 ,茶园土壤 0 .0 2mol/LCaCl2 提取的活性锰可作为茶叶吸收利用的有效态锰     

闽西南-粤东北成锰特征及优质氧化锰找矿方向

闽西南-粤东北地区为重要次生氧化锰成矿区,而优质氧化锰矿则主要分布于闽西南地区,其成矿在时空上、形成条件及产出规律等多方面具有明显 特征,据此总结出优质氧化锰6字("盆"、"层"、"断"、"溶"、"体"、"盖")找矿模式.     

9000 years of geochemical evolution of lithogenic major and trace elements in the sediment of an alpine lake – the role of climate, vegetation, and land-use history

A 9000cal. year record of geochemistry was analysed in a sediment core obtained from a Swiss alpine hard-water lake (1937 ma.s.l.) that is located at the present-day tree-line. Geochemical stratigraphies are compared to changes in mineralogy, grain-size, pollen, and macrofossil records. This allows the reconstruction of the effects of changes in vegetation and of 3500 years of land-use in the catchment area on sediment geochemistry. Using principal component analysis, two major geochemical groups are distinguished: (i) Changes in concentrations of Rb, Ti, Zr, Fe, As, and Pb are closely related to corresponding changes in the concentrations of quartz and clay. They are thus considered to represent the silicate fraction which shows an increase from the oldest to the youngest core section. (ii) In contrast, Ca and Sr concentrations are positively correlated with changes in silt, sand, and calcite. They are therefore considered to represent the carbonate fraction which gradually decreased. Based on constrained cluster analysis, the core is divided into two major zones. The oldest zone (A; 9000–6400 cal.BP) is characterised by high concentrations of detrital carbonates. The more open catchment vegetation at that time promoted the physical weathering of these carbonates. The second major zone (B, 6400 cal.BP–1996 AD) is divided into four subsections with boundaries at ca. 3500, 2400, and 160cal. BP. The lower part of this zone, B1, is characterized by a gradual decrease in the carbonate-silt fraction and a pronounced increase in the silicate-clay fraction. This is concurrent with the expansion of Picea in the catchment area, which probably stabilized the soil. The middle part, B2 and B3 (3500–160cal. BP), comprises pronounced fluctuations in all elements, especially Ca, Sr, Mn, and Rb, but also in clay and silt. These changes are related to varying intensities of alpine farming. In the same section, Mn/Fe ratios are highly variable, suggesting changes in the mixing regime of the lake with phases of anoxic bottom water. The uppermost section, B4 (since 160cal. BP), is characterized by a steep decline in the silicate fraction and an increase in Ca and Sr. Despite the decrease in the silicate fraction, Pb increases, due to elevated atmospheric input resulting from early metal pollution, are masked by the high natural variability. Generally, changes in vegetation, which correspond to climate changes in the early Holocene and to human activities since ca. 3700cal. BP, are the controlling factor for variations in the geochemical composition of the sediment of Sägistalsee.     

黔东北地区大塘坡组早期含锰沉积充填、岩相古地理与锰矿的关系

黔东北地区是中国南华纪"大塘坡式"锰矿重要富集区,而岩相古地理是沉积型锰矿最重要的控矿因素。笔者根据松桃—江口地区南华系各组岩性及碎屑锆石年龄特征对清水江组、两界河组、铁丝坳组及大塘坡组进行细致的地层划分,在建立了本区南华纪大塘坡早期沉积充填序列的同时,将本区沉积盆地划分为4个Ⅱ级盆地、12个Ⅲ级盆地以及11个次级(Ⅳ)聚锰盆地。在不同盆地内的大塘坡一段中识别出14种岩相类型,划分出2类沉积系、10类主要的岩相古地理单元,进而编绘了本区南华纪大塘坡早期岩相古地理图。提出在大陆边缘裂谷盆地的背景下,研究区南华纪大塘坡早期沉积环境应属大陆边缘障壁海岸体系,属于典型的"大塘坡式"锰矿,与障壁后侧迅速沉降的深水局限盆地密切相关。     

新疆西天山莫托萨拉热水沉积型铁锰矿床矿物学与地球化学特征

莫托萨拉铁锰矿床位于西天山阿吾拉勒成矿带东端,研究程度相对薄弱,在矿床成因方面存在热水沉积、沉积-热液改造、胶体化学沉积等争论。本文详细研究了莫托萨拉最上层锰矿及其围岩的矿物组成、结构构造和地球化学特征,并综合前人资料对整个铁锰矿床的成因做了进一步探讨。本研究首次在矿区发现了热液长石岩,其主要由钠长石、钾长石以及少量重晶石、霓石、锌铁黄长石等矿物组成,类似于"白烟型"热水沉积岩。莫托萨拉最上层锰矿主要由锰橄榄石、褐锰矿、红硅锰矿、磁锰铁矿以及少量重晶石、方铁锰矿等矿物组成,发育有典型的热水内碎屑结构,指示其沉积于海底热液喷流口附近。该层锰矿的Al/(Al+Fe+Mn)值很低(0～0.02)、Si/Al值较高(7.9～10.9)、Fe/Ti值很高(428～1353),通过UCC标准化后发现明显富集Zn、Ba、Pb等元素,而Co、Ni、Cu等元素未见富集,以上地球化学特征与现代海底热液成因铁锰沉积物一致。在Fe/Ti-Al/(Al+Fe+Mn)、Si O2-Al2O3、10×(Co+Ni+Cu)-Fe-Mn、100×(Zr+Ce+Y)-15×(Cu+Ni)-(Fe+Mn)/4等判别图中,莫托萨拉的锰矿层和铁矿层样品均落在海底热液沉积区。锰矿层和铁矿层的稀土元素经PAAS标准化后具有明显的Ce负异常、Eu正异常和Y正异常,与现代海底热液成因铁锰沉积物的稀土配分模式非常相似。综合分析本次研究的矿物学、岩石学、地球化学特征以及前人资料,本文认为莫托萨拉铁锰矿床为海相热水沉积成因,成矿与同期海底火山的间歇性活动密切相关,海底热液的化学组分、温度高低和活动强弱都具有明显的脉动性。莫托萨拉矿区铁锰共存但各自独立成矿,且铁锰分离程度较高,这在显生宙沉积型锰矿中独具特色。鉴于前人曾报道莫托萨拉铁矿石中存在菌藻类微生物化石,我们推测,该矿床的铁锰分离过程除了受控于沉积环境的氧化还原条件变化外,微生物的选择性氧化沉淀可能也发挥了重要作用,值得开展深入研究。     

Quantitative high resolution cathodoluminescence spectroscopy of diagenetic and hydrothermal dolomites

A combination of high resolution cathodoluminescence-spectroscopy (HRS-CL=high resolution spectroscopy of cathodoluminescence emission) with spatial resolving trace element analyses (PIXE=proton induced X-ray emission) is used to establish a method for the quantitative determination of the Mn-content of diagenetic and hydrothermal dolomites using the measurements of peak areas of Mn-activated CL emission bands. This method takes into account the overlap of the CL broad bands of Mn²⁺ in the Mg- and the Ca-lattice-position of dolomite. There is a linear correlation between the peak areas and Mn concentration up to approx. 1000–1500 ppm. Thus, CL spectroscopy allows a determination of Mn concentrations below the abilities of PIXE (10–15 ppm) to less than 1 ppm by extrapolation of this linear relation.

Up to an Fe-content of approx. 2000 ppm, no quenching effect of Fe on this linear relationship occurs. However, Fe-contents above 2000 ppm result in a decrease of Mn-induced luminescence. Even at Fe-concentration >25,000 ppm spectroscopy reveals that Mn-activated CL of dolomite is not entirely extinguished.