Deep-sea Fe-Mn Crusts from the Northeast Atlantic Ocean: Composition and Resource Considerations |
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| Authors: | Susana Bolhão Muiños James R Hein Martin Frank José Hipólito Monteiro Luís Gaspar Tracey Conrad |
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| Institution: | 1. Unidade de Gelogia Marinha, Laboratório Nacional de Energia e Geologia , Amadora , Portugal;2. GEOMAR , Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Sciences , Kiel , Germany susana.muinos@ipma.pt;4. U.S. Geological Survey , Santa Cruz , CA , USA;5. GEOMAR , Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Sciences , Kiel , Germany;6. Unidade de Gelogia Marinha, Laboratório Nacional de Energia e Geologia , Amadora , Portugal |
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| Abstract: | Eighteen deep-sea ferromanganese crusts (Fe-Mn crusts) from 10 seamounts in the northeast Atlantic were studied. Samples were recovered from water depths of ～1,200 to ～4,600 m from seamounts near Madeira, the Canary and Azores islands, and one sample from the western Mediterranean Sea. The mineralogical and chemical compositions of the samples indicate that the crusts are typical continental margin, hydrogenetic Fe-Mn crusts. The Fe-Mn crusts exhibit a Co + Cu + Ni maximum of 0.96 wt%. Platinum-group element contents analyzed for five samples showed Pt contents from 153 to 512 ppb. The resource potential of Fe-Mn crusts within and adjacent to the Portuguese Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is evaluated to be comparable to that of crusts in the central Pacific, indicating that these Atlantic deposits may be an important future resource. |
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| Keywords: | ferromanganese crusts northeast Atlantic Portuguese EEZ resource considerations seamounts |
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