MAIN FACTORS STUDY OF THE CONTROLLING GEOCHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF FERROMANGANESE NODULES .1. GEOCHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF FERROMANGANESE NODULES

The geochemical characteristics of ferromanganese nodules have been described in detail by the information study of major elements, trace elements, rare earth elements and infrared spectrophotometer, X-ray diffraction, electronic probing, electronic microscope analysis in 57 ferromanganese nodules of different types from the South China Sea and the Northern Central Pacific Basin. The result shows that (i) the different types of ferromanganese nodules have different geochemical characteristics; (ii) there is a close relationship between Mn/Fe in ferromanganese nodules and their element content, mineral composition, nodule abundance, tenor (Cu + Co + Ni)%, growth speed and sedimentary environment. It has suggested that Mn/Fe in nodules can be an indicator of classifying ferromanganese nodule types.