Marine Geology and Oceanography of the Pacific Manganese Nodule Province
Marine Geology and Oceanography of the Pacific Manganese Nodule Province

Author: James L. Bischoff

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2013-03-08

Total Pages: 839

ISBN-13: 1468435183

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Deep-sea manganese nodules, once an obscure scientific curios ity, have, in the brief span of two decades, become a potential mineral resource of major importance. Nodules that cover the sea floor of the tropical North Pacific may represent a vast ore de posit of manganese, nickel, cobalt, and copper. Modern technology has apparently surmounted the incredible problem of recovering nodules in water depths of 5000 meters and the extraction of metals from the complex chemical nodule matrix is a reality. Both the recovery and the extraction appear to be economically feasible. Exploitation of this resource is, however, hindered more by the lack of an international legal structure allowing for recognition of mining sites and exploitation rights, than by any other factor. Often, when a mineral deposit becomes identified as an ex ploitable resource, scientific study burgeons. Interest in the nature and genesis of the deposit increases and much is learned from large scale exploration. The case is self evident for petrol eum and ore deposits on land. The study of manganese nodules is just now entering this phase. What was the esoteric field of a few scientists has become the subject of active exploration and research by most of the industrialized nations. Unfortunately for our general understanding of manganese nodules, exploration results remain largely proprietary. However, scientific study has greatly increased and the results are becoming widely available.

The Geochemistry of Manganese and Manganese Nodules in the Ocean
The Geochemistry of Manganese and Manganese Nodules in the Ocean

Author: G.N. Baturin

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2012-12-06

Total Pages: 349

ISBN-13: 9400937318

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Manganese nodules were first discovered on the ocean floor 160 miles south-west of the Canary Islands on February 18, 1803, during the first complex oceano logical cruise of the Challenger. They surprised researchers by their unusual shape and also by their unusual chemical composition; nevertheless for many years after wards, they were considered merely as one of Nature's exotic marine tricks. After the Secpnd World War, a comprehensive investigation of the World Ocean started, and new data were obtained on a wide distribution of manganese nodules and their polymetallic composition, that made scientists consider nodules as one of the major characteristics of the deep oceanic zone. Recently, meaning since the 1960's, nodules have been recognized as a potential ore source, investigation of which is stimulated by the progressive depletion of land-based mineral resources. Several generations of scientists from various countries have contributed to the problem of exploration of manganese nodules on the ocean floor. Though the problem has been posed, it has not been solved yet because it required, in its turn, a scrutiny of some fundamental aspects such as composition, nature, accretion r'ate of nodules and retrieval of nodule fields. These problems have been discussed in thousands of papers and larger publications; see, in particulare, Mero, 1965; Horn, 1972; Morgenstein, 1973; Bezrukov, 1976; Glasby, 1977; Bischoff and Piper, 1979; Lalou, 1979; Manganese nodules, 1979; Varentsov, 1980; Cronan, 1980; Manganese nodules . . . , 1984, 1986.

Hydrothermal Processes at Seafloor Spreading Centers
Hydrothermal Processes at Seafloor Spreading Centers

Author: Peter A. Rona

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2013-11-21

Total Pages: 802

ISBN-13: 1489904026

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During the past ten years, evidence has developed to indicate that seawater convects through oceanic crust driven by heat derived from creation of lithosphere at the Earth-encircling oceanic ridge-rift system of seafloor spreading centers. This has stimulated multiple lines of research with profound implications for the earth and life sciences. The lines of research comprise the role of hydrothermal convection at seafloor spreading centers in the Earth's thermal regime by cooling of newly formed litho sphere (oceanic crust and upper mantle); in global geochemical cycles and mass balances of certain elements by chemical exchange between circulating seawater and basaltic rocks of oceanic crust; in the concentration of metallic mineral deposits by ore-forming processes; and in adaptation of biological communities based on a previously unrecognized form of chemosynthesis. The first work shop devoted to interdisciplinary consideration of this field was organized by a committee consisting of the co-editors of this volume under the auspices of a NATO Advanced Research Institute (ARI) held 5-8 April 1982 at the Department of Earth Sciences of Cambridge University in England. This volume is a product of that workshop. The papers were written by members of a pioneering research community of marine geologists, geophysicists, geochemists and biologists whose work is at the stage of initial description and interpretation of hydrothermal and associated phenomena at seafloor spreading centers.

The Indian Ocean Nodule Field
The Indian Ocean Nodule Field

Author: Ranadhir Mukhopadhyay

Publisher: Elsevier

Published: 2007-12-08

Total Pages: 307

ISBN-13: 0080557031

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The book includes a synthesis of research findings on the structure and evolution of the Central Indian Ocean Basin and its ferromanganese deposits, in particular, on the exploration campaign since 1980s. A comprehensive mixture of recent studies along with classical theories starting from the 1960s is the hallmark of the book. Recent concepts and hypotheses, and also critical appreciation of the state-of-the-art knowledge on nodule formation and resource management are incorporated. After limiting the geographical extension of the nodule field and describing its physiographic, geological, biological, physical and chemical characteristics in chapter 1, the various structural, tectonic and volcanic elements are described in chapters 2 and 3. The bottom sediment characteristics that floor the nodules and crusts are dealt with in chapter 4. The nodules and crusts are described in detail in chapter 5, and their process of formation in the light of variable source material, local and regional tectonic activities, and midplate secondary volcanisms are discussed. The mining, environment, metallurgy, legal and economic aspects of the nodule resources are discussed in chapter 6. This title fulfils the growing need to bring voluminous, but scattered information in the form of a book for easy dissemination to students and researchers.* First dedicated book on the Indian Ocean manganese nodule resources * Comprehensively discusses the dynamics of nodule formation in the Indian Ocean Nodule Field (IONF) * Independently assesses the influence of tectonics and volcanism on the manganese nodule resource potential in local and regional scales

Physical Geology
Physical Geology

Author: Steven Earle

Publisher:

Published: 2016-08-12

Total Pages: 628

ISBN-13: 9781537068824

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This is a discount Black and white version. Some images may be unclear, please see BCCampus website for the digital version.This book was born out of a 2014 meeting of earth science educators representing most of the universities and colleges in British Columbia, and nurtured by a widely shared frustration that many students are not thriving in courses because textbooks have become too expensive for them to buy. But the real inspiration comes from a fascination for the spectacular geology of western Canada and the many decades that the author spent exploring this region along with colleagues, students, family, and friends. My goal has been to provide an accessible and comprehensive guide to the important topics of geology, richly illustrated with examples from western Canada. Although this text is intended to complement a typical first-year course in physical geology, its contents could be applied to numerous other related courses.

Deep-Sea Mining
Deep-Sea Mining

Author: Rahul Sharma

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2017-03-28

Total Pages: 535

ISBN-13: 3319525573

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This comprehensive book contains contributions from specialists who provide a complete status update along with outstanding issues encompassing different topics related to deep-sea mining. Interest in exploration and exploitation of deep-sea minerals is seeing a revival due to diminishing grades and increasing costs of processing of terrestrial minerals as well as availability of several strategic metals in seabed mineral resources; it therefore becomes imperative to take stock of various issues related to deep-sea mining. The authors are experienced scientists and engineers from around the globe developing advanced technologies for mining and metallurgical extraction as well as performing deep sea exploration for several decades. They invite readers to learn about the resource potential of different deep-sea minerals, design considerations and development of mining systems, and the potential environmental impacts of mining in international waters.