Structure and Composition of Ferromanganese–Phosphate Nodules from the Black Sea

Ferruginate shells and tubular worm burrows from the oxygenated zone of the Black Sea (Kalamit Bay and Danube River mouth) are studied using transmission and scanning electron microscopy combined with analyses of elemental composition. Iron and manganese hydroxide nodules considered here are enriched in phosphorus. They contain variable amounts of terrigenous and biogenic material derived from host sediments. The hydroxides are mainly characterized by colloform structure, whereas globular and crystalline structures are less common. The dominating iron phase is represented by ferroxyhite and protoferroxyhite, whereas the manganese phase is composed of Fe-free vernadite. Relative to sediments, concentrations of Mn, As, and Mo increase 12–18 times, while concentrations of Fe, P, Ni, and Co increase 5–7 times during the nodule formation.