Korean Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology (광물과 암석)

The Petrological Society of Korea & The Mineralogical Society of Korea (한국암석학회 & 한국광물학회)
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Origin and Mineralogical-geochemical Characteristics of the Ferromanganese Nodule on the Western Pacific Seafloor

서태평양 심해저 망가니즈 단괴의 광물학적-지화학적 특성과 성인 연구

  • Hyeonho An (Ocean Georesources Research Department, Korea Institute of Ocean Science & Technology) ;
  • Kiho Yang (Department of Oceanography, Pusan National University) ;
  • Youngtak Ko (Ocean Georesources Research Department, Korea Institute of Ocean Science & Technology) ;
  • Yongmoon Lee (Department of Geological Sciences, Pusan National University) ;
  • Jaewoo Jung (Ocean Georesources Research Department, Korea Institute of Ocean Science & Technology)
  • 안현호 (한국해양과학기술원 대양자원연구부) ;
  • 양기호 (부산대학교 해양학과 ) ;
  • 고영탁 (한국해양과학기술원 대양자원연구부) ;
  • 이용문 (부산대학교 지질환경과학과) ;
  • 정재우 (한국해양과학기술원 대양자원연구부)
  • Received : 2024.06.13
  • Accepted : 2024.06.26
  • Published : 2024.06.30
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Abstract

This study investigated the origin and mineralogical-geochemical characteristics of a small ferromanganese (Fe-Mn) nodule sample obtained from the abyssal seafloor of the Magellan Seamount cluster. To this end, X-ray diffraction and X-ray fluorescence analyses were conducted. The dark brown Fe-Mn oxides constituting the nodule had a homogeneous texture without distinguishable layers, forming around three distinct nuclei. The oxides had a low average Mn/Fe ratio of 0.73 (0.24-1.10) and were characterized by high Co content (0.41-0.85 wt.%, average = 0.58 wt.%) as well as low Ni (0.06-1.24 wt.%, average = 0.55 wt.%) and Cu (0.27-1.02 wt.%, average = 0.59 wt.%) concentrations. The maximum age of the nodule was estimated at 0.52 Ma, suggesting that it began forming during the transition from the glacial to the interglacial periods in the middle Pleistocene. The Fe-Mn oxide layer comprised vernadite, smectite, quartz, and feldspar, while the nuclei were composed of soft sediments. The presence of vernadite, a typical hydrogenetic Fe-Mn oxide mineral, along with the low Mn/Fe ratio, high Co content, and low Ni and Cu concentrations, indicates that Fe-Mn nodules on the abyssal seafloor of the Magellan Seamount cluster in the western Pacific Ocean formed through hydrogenetic processes.

본 연구에서는 X-선 회절분석과 X-선 형광분석을 통해 서태평양 실해역 탐사 동안 마젤란 해산군 심해저면에서 획득한 소형 망가니즈 단괴의 광물학적-지화학적 특성과 성인을 파악하고자 하였다. 어두운 갈색의 망가니즈 산화물은 육안으로 구분되는 층이 없이 균질 하였으며, 세 개로 나뉘어 있는 핵을 감싸는 형태로 형성되었다. 망가니즈 산화물에서 평균 0.73(0.24-1.10)의 낮은 Mn/Fe 비를 보였으며 높은 Co 함량(0.41-0.85 wt.%; 평균 0.58 wt.%)과 낮은 Ni(0.06-1.24 wt.%; 평균 0.55 wt.%), Cu(0.27-1.02 wt.%; 평균 0.59 wt.%) 함량이 나타났다. 단괴의 최대 연령은 약 0.52 Ma로 플라이스토세 중기의 빙하기에서 간빙기로 전환되는 시기에 형성되기 시작하였을 것으로 보인다. 망가니즈 산화물 층은 버나다이트, 스멕타이트, 석영, 장석으로 이루어져 있으며 핵은 해저 퇴적물로 구성되었음을 확인하였다. 대표적인 수성기원 망가니즈 산화 광물인 버나다이트와 낮은 Mn/Fe 비, 높은 Co 함량과 낮은 Ni, Cu의 함량은 서태평양 마젤란 해산군 심해저면의 망가니즈 단괴가 수성기원으로 형성되었음을 지시한다.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

이 논문은 2024년도 해양수산부 재원으로 해양수산과학기술진흥원의지원을받아수행된연구임(20220509, 서태평양 해저산 고코발트 망간각 자원개발 유망광구선정).

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