MINERALOGICAL AND ELEMENTAL CHARACTERIZATION OF PRE-MINING GEOCHEMICAL CONDITIONS FROM VARIOUS GEOFORMS AND HABITAT TYPES IN THE CLARION-CLIPPERTON ZONE 

Polymetallic nodules found in the deep-sea are of considerable economic interest due to their abundance in Co, Cu, Ni, Mn, and various rare earth elements (REEs). As economic interest in nodule mining continues to grow, the need for baseline studies reducing epistemic uncertainty surrounding deep-sea ecosystems grows as well. This project aims to establish sedimentological baselines from a collector test area (CTA) and preservation reference zone (PRZ) in NORI area D, a TMC project area located in the southeast portion of the Clarion Clipperton Zone by  investigating the natural elemental makeup of sediments from various geoforms, nodule types/size, and bathymetries. In this study, seven sediment cores taken from the NORI-D contract area prior to full-scale mining expeditions were analyzed using X-Ray fluorescence (XRF) for elemental composition and contextualized with previously collected data on depth, organic carbon, geomorphology, spatial orientation, and nodule presence. Drawing from previous literature regarding geochemical characterization, 3 elemental suites including Si, Ca, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, and Zn were investigated. Down-core stratigraphic concentrations and spatial variation of these elemental compositions were analyzed to provide a profile of pre-mining conditions across diverse geoforms, bathymetry, and nodule types. Using this data, future projects can draw well-informed conclusions on how deep-sea mining may alter the geochemical sedimentary profile of the CCZ and provide useful thresholds for concerned parties.

For more information: jcwheat@eckerd.edu

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