A STUDY OF DETRITAL MINERALS IN THE SEDIMENTS FROM THE WESTERN CENTRAL PACIFIC OCEAN

No Jess than 90 species of detrital minerals have been identified from the fine and very fine sand grains in the sediments from the Western Central Pacific. It is demonstrated that the volcanic minerals were originated from the eruption of oceanic tholeiitic magma since the Early Pleistocene according to the mineralogical indications and the rare-earth element distribution pattern. The mineral assemblage indicates that the detrital minerals are principally of pelagic origin. But the Melanesia Basin has more terrigenous constituents of minerals, of which, the quartz content increased generally during the interglacial periods. The area of Wallis Islands, especially of the Northern Fiji Basin has relatively typical pelagic substances and less terrigenous components. The genesis of the authigenic manganese nodules is closely related to the brown clay and can also be found in the calcium carbonate sediments in form of fine grain, but not in the relatively loose calciferous volcanic ash bed in the Northern Fi

A STUDY OF DETRITAL MINERALS IN THE SEDIMENTS FROM THE WESTERN CENTRAL PACIFIC OCEAN

No Jess than 90 species of detrital minerals have been identified from the fine and very fine sand grains in the sediments from the Western Central Pacific. It is demonstrated that the volcanic minerals were originated from the eruption of oceanic tholeiitic magma since the Early Pleistocene according to the mineralogical indications and the rare-earth element distribution pattern. The mineral assemblage indicates that the detrital minerals are principally of pelagic origin. But the Melanesia Basin has more terrigenous constituents of minerals, of which, the quartz content increased generally during the interglacial periods. The area of Wallis Islands, especially of the Northern Fiji Basin has relatively typical pelagic substances and less terrigenous components. The genesis of the authigenic manganese nodules is closely related to the brown clay and can also be found in the calcium carbonate sediments in form of fine grain, but not in the relatively loose calciferous volcanic ash bed in the Northern Fiji Basin.