• 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.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.210-221
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• 2008

The mesoscale environmental surveys were conducted between $5^{\circ}N\;and\;17^{\circ}N$ mainly along the $131.5^{\circ}W$ meridian from 1997 to 2002 to investigate controlling factors of carbon and nitrogen contents in bottom sediments. Sediments of the study area showed zonal distribution pattern depending on latitudinal position and can be classified into four types; calcareous ooze($5{\sim}6^{\circ}N$), siliceous sediments($8{\sim}12^{\circ}N$), pelagic red clay($16{\sim}17^{\circ}N$), and mixed sediments($7^{\circ}N$). Inorganic carbon(IC) contents varied depending on water depth and carbonate compensation depth(CCD). Carbonate materials were well preserved in the low latitude region, where water depths are shallower than CCD. In contrast, the higher latitude region dominated by siliceous sediment and pelagic red clays has low productivity in water column as well as the water depths deeper than CCD. Thus, most of carbonate materials were dissolved, which resulted in IC contents of less than 0.05% in the sediments. Organic carbon(OC) and total nitrogen contents(TN) in siliceous sediments were higher than in pelagic red clay sediments simply because of higher primary productivity in the siliceous sediment dominated area. The contents of OC and TN were lower in the calcareous ooze than in the siliceous sediments. It is attributed to the high input of calcareous material to the bottom due to relatively shallow water depth of the area, which diluted organic matter contents in the sediment. Overall results indicated that water depth relative to CCD, primary production in water column, and sedimentation rate largely controls the large-scale distribution of carbon and nitrogen contents in the study area.

• 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.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.529-543
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• 2003

Deep-sea surface sediments, acquired from 1997 to 2002 in the Clarion-Clipperton fracture zone of the northeast equatorial Pacific, were analyzed for index and geotechnical properties to provide background information for the design of manganese nodule minor. The sediments were classified into 16 types based on the measured properties and evaluated in terms of miner maneuverabillity and potential environmental impacts arising from mining activities. It was found that the middle part of the study area covered with coarse siliceous sediments is more favorable to the commercial production than the northern part of pelagic red clay. In particular, Area B2 in the middle part is considered the best mining site since it shows the highest abundance as well as it consists mostly of normally to over consolidated (types B, C, D) coarse siliceous sediments that are appropriate for effective minor movement and accompany weak environmental impacts. Taking account of all the analyzed core logs, the average shear-strength values are proposed as a practical guideline fur movements of a manganese nodule miner: 6.0 kPa at 10cm and 7.0kPa at 40cm below the seabed.

• 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).