Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Compositional variation and genesis of ferromanganese crusts of the Afanasiy—Nikitin Seamount, Equatorial Indian Ocean

  • Published:
Journal of Earth System Science Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Eight ferromanganese crusts (Fe-Mn crusts) with igneous and sedimentary substrates collected at different water depths from the Afanasiy-Nikitin Seamount are studied for their bulk major, minor and rare earth element composition. The Mn/Fe ratios < 1.5 indicate the hydrogenetic accretion of the Fe-Mn hydroxides. These Fe-Mn crusts are enriched in Co (up to 0.9%, average ∼ 0.5%) and Ce. The Ce-content is the highest reported so far (up to 3763 ppm, average ∼ 2250 ppm) for global ocean seamount Fe-Mn crusts. In spite of general similarity in the range of major, minor, and strictly trivalent rare earth element composition, the dissimilarity between the present Fe-Mn crusts and the Pacific seamount Fe-Mn crusts in Co and Ce associations with major mineral phases indicates inter-oceanic heterogeneity and region-specific conditions responsible for their enrichment. The decrease in Ce-anomaly (from ∼ 8 to ∼ 1.5) with increasing water depth (from ∼ 1.7 km to ∼ 3.2 km) might suggest that the modern intermediate depth low oxygen layer was shifted and sustained at a deeper depth for a long period in the past.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aplin A C 1984 Rare earth element geochemistry of Central Pacific ferromanganese encrustations;Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 71 13–22.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Banakar V K 1990 Uranium-thorium isotopes and transition metal fluxes in two oriented manganese nodules from the Central Indian Basin: implications for nodule turnover;Mar. Geol. 95 71–76.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Banakar V K and Borole D V 1991 Depth profiles of230Thexcess, transition metals and mineralogy of ferromanganese crusts of the Central Indian basin and implications for palaeoceanographic influence on crust genesis;Chem. Geol. 94 33–44.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Banakar V K and Hein J R 2000 Growth response of a deep water ferromanganese crust to evolution of the Neogene Indian Ocean;Mar. Geol. 162 529–540.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Banakar V K, Pattan J N and Jauhari P 1989 Size, surface texture, chemical composition and mineralogy interrelations in ferromanganese nodules of Central Indian Ocean;Indian J. Mar. Sci. 18 201–203.

    Google Scholar 

  • Banakar V K, Pattan J N and Mudholkar A V 1997 Palaeoceanographic conditions during the formation of ferromanganese crusts from the Afanasiy-Nikitin Seamount, North Central Indian Ocean: Geochemical Evidences;Mar. Geol. 136 299–315.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bau M, Koschinsky A, Dulski P and Hein J R 1996 Comparison of the portioning behaviours of yttrium, rare earth elements, and titanium between hydrogenetic marine ferromanganese crusts and sea water;Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 60 1709–1725.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bogorov V G and Bezrukov P L 1961 Vityaz in the Indian Ocean;Prioda 10 12–35 (in Russian).

    Google Scholar 

  • Bonatti E T, Kramer T and Rydell H 1972 Classification and genesis of submarine manganese deposits; In: Ferromanganese deposits on the Ocean Floor, (ed.) D R Horn, N S F, Washington, DC, 149–166.

    Google Scholar 

  • Borisova A Y, Portnyagin M V, Sushchevskaya N M, Tsekhonya T I and Kononkova N N 2001 Olivine basalts of the Afanasiy-Nikitin Rise, Indian Ocean: Petrology and deuteric alteration;Geochem. Internat. 35 346–358.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burns R G and Brown B A 1972 Nucleation and mineralogical controls on the composition of manganese nodules; In: Ferromanganese deposits of the ocean floor, (ed.) D R Horn, N S F Washington DC, 51–61.

    Google Scholar 

  • De Carlo E H 1991 Palaeoceanographic implications of rare earth element variability within a Fe-Mn crust from Central Pacific Ocean;Mar. Geol. 98 449–467.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • De Carlo E H and McMurtry G M 1992 Rare earth element geochemistry of ferromanganese crusts from the Hawaiian archipelago, Central Pacific;Chem. Geol. 95 235–250.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dickens G R and Owen R M 1994 Late Miocene Early Pliocene manganese redirection in the Central Indian Ocean: Expansion of the intermediate water oxygen minimum zone;Palaeoceanography 9 169–181.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Elderfield H 1988 The Oceanic chemistry of the rare earth elements;Phil. Trans. R. Soc. London A 325 105–126.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frank M and O’Nions R K 1998 Sources of lead for Indian Ocean ferromanganese crusts: a record of Himalyan erosion?Earth Planet Sci. Lett. 158 121–130.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frank M, O’Nions R K, Hein J R and Banakar V K 1999 60 Myr records of major elements and Pb-Nd isotopes from hydrogenous ferromanganese crust: reconstruction of seawater paleochemistry;Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 63 1689–1708.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Glasby G P (ed.) 1977 Marine manganese deposits;Elsevier Oceanogr. Ser. 15 p. 523; Why manganese nodules remain at sediment-water interface;New Zealand J. Sci. 20 187–190.

    Google Scholar 

  • Halbach P and Puteanus D 1984 Cobalt-rich ferromanganese crusts from Central Pacific seamount regions — composition and formation;Proc. Internat. Geol. Cong. 6 321–346.

    Google Scholar 

  • Halbach P, Segl M, Puteanus D and Mangini A 1983 Cofluxes and growth rates in ferromanganese deposits from Central Pacific seamount areas;Nature 304 716–719.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Halbach P, Settler C D, Teichmann F and Wahsner M 1989 Cobalt rich platinum bearing manganese crust deposits and metal potential;Mar. Mining 8 23–39.

    Google Scholar 

  • Haskin M A and Haskin L A 1966 Rare earths in European Shale: a re-determination;Science 154 507–509.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hein J R, Schwab W C and Davis A S 1988 Cobalt and platinum rich ferromanganese crusts and associated substrate rocks from Marshall Islands;Mar. Geol. 78 255–283.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hein J R, Koschinsky A, Bau M, Manheim F T, Kang J K and Roberts L 2000 Cobalt rich ferromanganese crusts in the Pacific; In: Handbook of marine mineral deposits, (ed.) D S Cronan, C R C Press NY,Mar. Sci. Ser. 239–280.

  • Iyer S D 1991 Comparison of internal features and microchemistry of ferromanganese crusts from the Central Indian Basin;Geo-Mar. Lett. 11 44–50.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jauhari P 1989 Variability of Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu and Co in manganese nodules from the Central Indian Ocean Basin;Mar. Geol. 86 237.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jauhari P and Pattan J N 2000 Ferromanganese nodules from the Central Indian Ocean Basin; In: Handbook of marine mineral deposits, (ed.) D Cronan, C R C Press, Boca Raton, 171–195.

    Google Scholar 

  • Koschinsky A and Halbach P 1995 Sequential leaching of marine ferromanganese precipitates: Genetic implications;Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 59 5113–5132.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Koschinsky A and Hein J R 2003 Uptake of elements from seawater by ferromanganese crusts: Solid phase association and seawater speciation;Mar. Geol. 198 331–351.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Levchenko O V 1990 The geological history of the Aphanasiy-Nikitin rise, Indian Ocean;Byul. 65 46–55.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mahoney J J, White W M, Upton B G J, Neal C R and Scrutton R A 1996 Beyond EM-1: Lavas from AfanasiyNikitin rise and the Crozet Archipelago, Indian Ocean;Geology 24 615–618.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Manheim F T and Lane-Bostwick C M 1988 Cobalt in ferromanganese crusts as a monitor of hydrothermal discharge on the Pacific seafloor;Nature 335 59–62.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moore W S, Ku T L, McDougal J D, Burns M V, Burns R, Dymond J, Lyle M W and Piper D Z 1981 Fluxes of metals to a manganese nodule: radiochemical, chemical, structural and mineralogical studies;Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 52 151–171.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Murray R W, Brink M R B, Brumsack H J, Gerlach D C and Russ III G P 1991 Rare earth elements in Japan Sea sediments and diagenetic behaviour of Ce/Ce*: Results from ODP Leg 127;Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 55 2453–2466.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parthiban G and Banakar V K 1999 Chemistry and possible resource potential of cobalt-rich ferromanganese crusts from Afanasiy-Nikitin Seamount in the Indian Ocean;Indian Mineralogist 33 125–132.

    Google Scholar 

  • Piper D Z 1974 Rare earth elements in the sedimentary cycle: a summary;Chem. Geol. 17 287–297.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rudenko M V 1994 Morphostructure of the Afanasiy-Nikitin Seamount;Oceanology 33 525–530.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sborshchikov I M, Murdmaa I O, Matveenkov V V, Kashintsev G L, Golmshtock G I and Al’mukhamedov A I 1995 Afanasiy-Nikitin Seamount within the intraplate deformation zone, Indian Ocean;Mar. Geol. 128 115–126.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Segl M, Mangini A, Bonani G, Hofmann H J, Nessi M, Suter M, Wolfli W, Friedrich G, Pluger W L, Weichowski A and Beer J 198410Be-dating of a manganese crust from Central Pacific and implications for ocean palaeocirculation;Nature 309 540–543.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Srikrishna K, Bull J M and Scrutton R A 2001 Evidence for multiphase folding of the Central Indian Ocean lithosphere;Geology 29 715–718.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Verma S P, Torees-Alvarado I S and Sotelo-Rodriguez Z T 2002 SINCLAS: standard igneous norm and volcanic rock classification system;Computers and Geoscience 28 711–715.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wen X Y and De Carlo E H 1994 A comparative study of the geochemistry and internal structures of seamount ferromanganese crusts;EOS Trans. Am. Geophys. Union 74 78.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wen X, De Carlo E H and Li Y H 1997 Interelement relationship in ferromanganese crusts from the Central Pacific Ocean. Their implications for crust genesis;Mar. Geol. 136 277–297.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wyrtki K 1971 Oceanographic Atlas of the International Indian Ocean Expedition, pp. 72–156.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, 403 004, Goa, India

    R. P. Rajani, V. K. Banakar, G. Parthiban, A. V. Mudholkar & A. R. Chodankar

Authors
  1. R. P. Rajani
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. V. K. Banakar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. G. Parthiban
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. A. V. Mudholkar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. A. R. Chodankar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Rajani, R.P., Banakar, V.K., Parthiban, G. et al. Compositional variation and genesis of ferromanganese crusts of the Afanasiy—Nikitin Seamount, Equatorial Indian Ocean. J Earth Syst Sci 114, 51–61 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02702008

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02702008

Keywords

Search

Navigation