Co–rich Mn crusts from the Magellan Seamount cluster: the long journey through time

The Magellan seamounts began forming as large submarine shield volcanoes south of the equator during the Cretaceous. These volcanoes formed as a cluster on the small Pacific plate in a period when tectonic stress was absent. Thermal subsidence of the seafloor led to sinking of these volcanoes and the formation of guyots as the seamounts crossed the equatorial South Pacific (10–0°S) sequentially and ocean surface temperatures became too high for calcareous organisms to survive. Guyot formation was completed between about 59 and 45 Ma and the guyots became phosphatized at about 39–34 and 27–21 Ma. Ferromanganese crusts began formation as proto-crusts on the seamounts and guyots of the Magellan Seamount cluster towards the end of the Cretaceous up to 55 Ma after the formation of the seamounts themselves. The chemical composition of these crusts evolved over time in a series of steps in response to changes in global climate and ocean circulation. The great thickness of these crusts (up to 15–20 cm) reflects their very long period of growth. The high Co contents of the outer parts of the crusts are a consequence of the increasing deep circulation of the ocean and the resulting deepening of the oxygen minimum zone with time. Growth of the Co-rich Mn crusts in the Magellan Seamount cluster can be considered to be the culmination of a long journey through time.     

西太平洋富钴结壳中钙质超微化石和分子化石研究

本文对西太平洋麦哲伦海山CM3D06富钴结壳进行了钙质超微化石生物地层学研究,发现结壳中有代表白垩纪(晚期)、古新世(晚期)、始新世(早、中、晚期)、中新世(中期)、上新世(晚期)和更新世等各时代的标准钙质超微化石,表明结壳的形成始于白垩纪(晚期);在富钴结壳中检出正构烷烃、类异戊二烯烃、甾烷类等众多分子化石,分子化石组合特征指数、主峰碳、ΣC-23/C+24、CPI、Pr/Ph、Pr/nC17、Ph/nC18和nC31/nC17显示有机质生物母源主要为海洋浮游植物、浮游动物和底栖非光合作用的菌类,而甾烷类的C29、C28和C27含量分布的变化则说明生物种群具有快速演变的特征。此外,还探讨了CM3D06结壳中Pr/Ph和有机碳同位素组成变化与结壳生长过程中的海洋环境演化的关联程度。