MINDeSEA WP6 Polymetallic Nodules (Point)
Polymetallic nodules occur in abyssal plains (~4000 – 6000 mm water depth) of all major oceans as two-dimensional deposits, formed on or just below sediment-covered seafloor, rich in metals of economic interest such as manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), cobalt (Co), molybdenum (Mo), titanium (Ti), lithium (Li), and rare earth elements (REE). The nodules are generated in marine environments where the sedimentation rates are low, commonly less than 10 centimeters (cm) per thousand years. The nodules consist of micro-layers of Mn oxides and Fe oxy-hydroxides concentrically precipitated around a nucleus. Nodules are generally about golf ball sized, most commonly 1–12 cm in diameter, but can vary in diameter from millimeter-size (micronodules) to as large as 20 cm. The polymetallic nodules are formed by metals precipitation either from ambient seawater (hydrogenetic formation), from pore-waters in the sediments (diagenetic formation), from hydrothermal derived fluids (Bonatti and Nayudu, 1965; Bau et al., 2014; Kuhn et al., 2017) and the formation processes that represent a mix of these different end-member processes. The formation mechanisms control the general chemical composition of the nodules, e.g. the hydrogenetic precipitation leads to an enrichment of Co and REE while the diagenetic precipitation favours enrichment of Ni and Cu. Hydrogenetic nodules grow remarkably slow (1 to 5 mm per million years), whereas diagenetic nodules grow at rates up to 250 mm per million years.
dataset
MINDeSEA Website
- Project website
https://www.europe-geology.eu/MINDeSEA/Polymetallic Nodules
English
Environment
Geoscientific information
Oceans
Geoscientific information
Oceans
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creation: 2019-04-27, publication: 2019-04-27, revision: 2020-04-27
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2019-12-31
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The main objective of MINDeSEA WP6 is to compile, analyse and deliver the information (generated data, products and metadata from areas explored and investigated) on the existing occurrences of polymetallic nodules in the European margins, in order to assess the European resource potential and inventory on polymetallic nodules. The compiled data will be made available through a common European information portal. The portal will provide access to data and metadata held by each organisation based on standards developed in the Geo-Seas and EMODnet-Geology project and data products compiled at a scale of 1:250,000 and more detailed scale when possible. This WP will also provide the basis for polymetallic nodules prospect identification and evaluation in European waters and identify key areas of missing information for future exploration and prospective mapping. The specific objectives of MINDeSEA WP6 are: - Characterize each polymetallic nodules occurrence, by compiling relevant data of the nodules generation controlling parameters, such as: location, geological setting, bathymetry, backscatter, sediment thickness, as well as the extend and depth of occurrence of Mn nodules. Morphology, textural characteristics, mineralogy and chemical composition and age data of the polymetallic nodules. Also to be compiled, if available, data from the surrounding sediments (type, composition, age, sedimentation rate, etc.). - To generate a harmonised dataset from the compiled data (harmonised mineral maps and databases) of polymetallic nodule occurrences. - Characterize the trace elements content of the several polymetallic nodules deposit types including the Critical Raw Materials (CRM) for base, noble and technological metals. Controlling factors on the occurrence of CRM will also be characterized. - Identify the principal metallogenic provinces where such deposits occur, taking into account spatial and temporal attributes, and provide models of formation.
National Laboratory of Energy and Geology (LNEG)
Pedro Ferreira
Laboratório Nacional de Energia e Geologia,
Estrada da Portela Bairro do Zambujal,
2610-999 Amadora,
Portugal
tel: +351-210-924-600
email:
pedro.ferreira@lneg.pt
Role: principal investigator
Data Quality
Data modeling used D2.8.III.21 Data Specification on Mineral resources - Technical Guidelines to generate data schema for Ferro-manganese Crusts data produced by EMODnet Geology WP7 Minerals and MINDeSEA WP8 Link to Information Plaform for MINDeSEA WP4 Ferro-manganese crusts, phosphorites and Critical Raw Materials. The INSPIRE MineralResourcesCore UML class diagam applied for the spatial data attributes includes the following feature types: MineralOccurrence, Mine, MiningActivity, MineralDepositModel. The MINDeSEA WP4 applies the following tables: Chemistry, economic, environment, metallogeny, other and phosphoritesCriticalRawMaterials as agreed by the WP4 and WP8 leaders.
Equivalent Scale:
1:
230000
Constraints
Metadata about metadata
5ee0d410-2aac-4328-9f37-390c0a010833
Geological Survey Ireland (GSI)
MINDeSEA WP8 Link to Information Platform Metadata Manager
Beggars Bush,
Haddington Road,
D04 K7X4,
Ireland
tel: +353-01-6782709
email:
GSI-Seabed@gsi.ie
Role: point of contact
2022-04-04