• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.187-197
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• 2004

The purpose of this paper is to investigate economic feasibility of manganese nodules in Korea area (Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zone). We assumed that the production scale of manganese nodules were 3.0MT or 1.5MT and analyzed that the capital cost and operating cost were estimated in the four sectors, exploration, mining, transportation and metallurgical process. The capital cost and operating cost evaluation reflects the latest technical practices. First, for analyzing economic feasibility, the scenario suggests that the production of 4 metals can be made for 25 years. Assuming the discount rate at 8.0%, equity capital at 50% and tax at 27%. When manganese nodule were mininged 3.0 MT, economic feasibility analyses showed that IRR was 12.8 and pay-back period was 9.2 years, and when manganese nodules were mininged 1.5 MT, economic feasibility analyses showed that IRR was 4.0 and pay-back period was 11.8 years. This study indicated there is economic validity of at the product of manganese nodules 3.0 MT. In addition, we carried out a sensitivity analysis at the change of cobalt price on mining 1.5 MT. The result of sensitivity analysis clearly showed that economic validity is high at increasing of cobalt price 50% up.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.265-272
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• 2004

This study was conducted to investigate the community structure and distributional pattern of meiobenthos in the deep-sea bottom of the Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zone of northeastern Pacific during July 2001. Examination of sediment samples collected on the eight survey station showed that there were 10 different types of meiobenthos. The most abundant meiobenthic animals were nematodes in all stations. Sarcomastigophorans, benthic harpacticoids were next abundant meiobenthos. Vertical distribution of meiobenthic animals showed the highest individual numbers in the surface sediment layers of 0-1 cm depth and showed more steep decreasing trend as sediment gets deeper on the stations of high latitude located in $16-17^{\circ}N$. Horizontal distribution of meiobenthic animal in the study area within CCFZ showed high densities of meiobenthos at the stations had few manganese nodules on their sediment surface in the site of low latitude. For size distribution analyses showed that animals which fit into the sieve mesh size of 0.063 mm were abundant.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.255-267
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• 2004

Deep-sea surface sediments acquired by multiple corer from 69 stations in the Clarion-Clipperton fracture zone of the northeast equatorial Pacific, were analyzed for shear strength properties to understand sedimentological process. The pelagic red clay from northern part of study area shows low average shear strength(4.4 kPa), while the siliceous sediment from middle area shows high(6.3 kPa). The calcareous sediment from southern area shows very low average shear strength(3.4 kPa), and transitional sediment between middle and southern area shows intermediate value(3.8 kPa) between siliceous and calcareous sediment. The depth profiles of average shear strength of pelagicred clay show gradual increment with depth due to decrease of water content with depth by general consolidation process. On the other, abrupt increment of average shear strength with depth in siliceous sediment is related to sedimentary hiatus. The very low shear strength in calcareous sediment is linked to very high sedimentation rate ofsouthern area compared with other study area.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.29 no.11
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• pp.1125-1139
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• 2020

This study investigated the distributional pattern of meiobenthos associated with future deep-sea mining in the Korea Deep Ocean Study area present in the Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zone (CCFZ) located in the southeastern part of the North Pacific Ocean. Standing stocks of meiobenthos were investigated in benthic impact experiment sites (BIS) and Korea Institute of Ocean Science & Technology long-term monitoring (KOMO) sites during the 2008-2014 annual field survey. A total of 14 taxa of meiobenthos were identified. Nematodes were the most abundant taxon (60-86%). Harpacticoid copepods (5-26%) and benthic foraminifera (1-12%) were also dominant at all sites. The total meiobenthic densities varied from 4 to 150 ind./10 cm2. The mean value of total meiobenthic abundance was higher at BIS than at KOMO sites, but there was no significant difference between the two sites. The mean values of the number of taxa and biomass at BIS and KOMO sites were similar. The mean abundance of nematodes that were the most dominant taxa was also higher at BIS than at KOMO sites. The standing stocks in our study sites were relatively lower than those previously reported at other CCFZ sites. These results seem to reflect a low organic concentration in the study area.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.133-145
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• 2003

Deep-sea surface sediments were collected using a multiple corer at 20 stations of Clarion-Clipperton fracture zone in the northeast equatorial Pacific to understand latitudinal and longitudinal variations of geotechnical properties. There was a distinct latitudinal variation of geotechnical properties in the study area. The northern sediments showed finer grain size, lower water content and porosity, higher bulk density and specific grain density, lower liquid limits and plastic limits than their southern counterparts. The northern sediments are classified into inorganic clays of low plasticity (fat clays) on plasticity charts and normal to active clay on activity chart, whereas, the southern sediments are classified into fine-grained, highly-plastic, inorganic and biogenic silt or organic clays on plasticity chart and normal to very active clay on activity chart. When shear strength are considered, the northern sediments were found to be in unconsolidated states, while the southern ones to be normal to over-consolidated states. These latitudinal variations in sediment characteristics are likely caused by differences in productivity of surface water that controls sediment compositions, sedimentation rates, and grain solubility.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.311-321
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• 2004

Relationships between sedimentary environments and abundance of benthic animals were examined on the deep-sea floor, the Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zone, in the northeast equatorial Pacific Ocean. Specimens were collected using a box corer at 8 stations by sieving through 0.3 mm mesh screen. Sediments showed finer grain size ranged from 5.63 to $7.97{\varphi}$, 83.1% of mean porosity, 1.81 kPa of mean shear strength and organic carbon content in sediment ranged from 0.97 to $1.87\;mg/cm^3$. Manganese nodules covered on the bottom layer from 4 to 57% of coverages. A total of 26 faunal groups in 6 phyla was sampled and comprised 1,467 individuals. Mean biomass were calibrated to 0.5 gWWt/$0.06\;m^2$. Small-sized animals including foraminiferans and nematods were dominated among the faunal group which comprised 49.1% (892 ind.) and 11.5% (320 ind.), respectively. In SPI-analysis, vertical bio-disturbance marks were not observed except to Beggiatoa-type bacterial mats. As the results of relationship between environments and benthos, abundance of benthic animals, especially nematode, showed only a negative correlation to the coverage of nodules, and any other sedimentary factors analyzed in this study were rarely affected to the spatial distribution of benthic animals.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.257-267
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• 2003

Deep-sea bottom photographs acquired in the Clarion-Clipperton fracture zone of the northeast equatorial Pacific were analyzed to reveal the controlling processes for the spatial variation of manganese nodule. The results show that regional-scale occurrence variations of manganese nodule are mainly controlled by primary productivity of surface water, sedimentation rate, and water depth (or carbonate compensation depth). As a result, the diagenetic accretion on nodules increases toward southwest while hydrogenetic accretion increases toward northeast. Considering the northwestward movement of Pacific Plate, this regional-scale variation of manganese nodule occurrence seems to be affected by oceanic environment during the active growth period (Oligocene-Miocene) of Pacific Plate.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.39 no.6 s.181
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• pp.739-752
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• 2006

Deep-sea surface sediments acquired by multiple corer from 69 stations in the Clarion-Clipperton fracture zone of the northeast equatorial Pacific, were examined to understand the correlation of mass physical properties and sedimen-tological processes. The seabed of the middle part ($8-12^{\circ}N$) of the study area is mainly covered by biogenic siliceous sediment compared with pelagic red clays in the northern part ($16-17^{\circ}N$). In the southern part ($5-6^{\circ}N$), water depth is shallower than carbonate compensation depth (CCD). The mass physical properties such as grain size distribution, mean grain size, water content, specific grain density, wet bulk density, void ratio, and porosity of sediments are distinctly different among the three parts of the study area. Surface sediments in northern part are characterized by fine grain size and low water contents possibly due to low primary productivity and high detrital input. Conversely, sediments in the middle part are characterized by coarse grain size and high water contents, which might be caused by high surface productivity and deeper depth than CCD. The sediments show low water contents and high density in the southern part, which can be explained by shallower depth than CCD. Our results suggest that the variations in mass physical properties of sediments are influenced by combined effects including biogenic primary productivity of surface water, water depth, especially with respect to CCD, sedimentation rate, detrital input, and the geochemistry of the bottom water (for example, formation of authigenic clay minerals and dissolution of biogenic grains).

• 한국해양학회지
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.193-203
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• 1991

KODOS (Korea Deep ocean Study)-89 sediments, recovered from western part of Clarion-Clipperton fracture zone in north Pacific, show two distinctly colored layer zones: surface yellow brown layer (unit A) and subsurface dark brown layer (unit B), and roughly recognized as Quaternary and Tertiary in age, respectively. Geochemical characteristics are also different in those two units. Smectite, water, micronodule, and heavy metal contents are higher in unit B, while POC content is higher in unit A. High smectite and low POC contents in unit B are due to the longer formation period of smectite, almost decomposition of labile organic matter in unit B relative to unit A. High water content in unit B is caused by coarse fabric which results from higher content of spicules and spines. Additionally, stronger electrostatic repulsion force caused by high smectite content also supports high water content in unit B relative to unit A. Variations in heavy metal contents are closely related to the amount of micronodule, which has higher metal contents than that of sediment. Therefore, we conclude that the differences of geochemical characteristics in unit A and unit B are resulted from the different diagenetic durations of unit A and unit B.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.286-294
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• 2008

In order to understand the physical properties of deep-sea sediments, which mainly consist of pelagic red clays, sediment samples were collected at 24 stations using a multiple corer in the Clarion-Clipperton fracture zone of the northeast equatorial Pacific. The sampled sediment cores were examined for the mass physical properties(i.e. grain size distribution, mean grain size, water content, specific grain density, wet bulk density, void ratio, and porosity) and the geotechnical properties(i.e. shear strength and consistency limits) with the content of biogenic opal and mineral composition. Although KR1 and KR2 areas on the same latitude are logitudinally far from each other, the mass physical properties of these areas are not distinctly different except for shear strengths. The maximum shear strength of surface sediments in KR2 area is higher than that in KR1 due to the appearance of a consolidated lower layer(Unit 3) in the sediment core from KR2.