Phillips. J. D.. H. S. Fleming, R. Feden. W. E. King, and R. 

 Perry. Aeromagnetic study of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge 

 near the Oceanographer Fracture Zone. Geol. Soc. Amer. 

 Bull. 



Schilling. J. G.. 1975: Azores mantle blob: Rare-earth evi- 

 dence. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 25(2) : 103-1 15. 



Storzer, Dieter, and Madeleine Selo, GEOCHRONOLOGIE.— 

 Ages par la methods des traces de fission de basalts pre- 

 leves dans la valee axiale de la dorsale medio-atlantique 

 aux environs de 37°N, Comfte render de 1 academic des 

 Sciences. Paris. 



Whitmarsh, R. B. Axial Intrusion Zone Beneath the Median 

 Valley of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge at 37°N Detected by 

 Explosion Seismology, Geophys. J. 



Manganese Nodule Study 



The Inter-University Program of Research on Ferroman- 

 ganese Deposits of the Ocean Floor was initiated at the Arden 

 House Conference/Workshop, which took place January 20-22, 

 1972, at Lamont-Dohcrty Geological Observatory. Following 

 the conference, a coordinator's office was set up at Lamont- 

 Doherty Geological Observatory of Columbia University, under 

 NSF Grant GX-336i6. to manage the program. Through con- 

 tact with other participants, the coordinator's office assembled 

 a series of formal proposals by 22 investigators from 13 insti- 

 tutions. This inter-institutional proposal was submitted to the 

 Seabed Assessment Program of IDOE in March. 1972, through 

 Columbia University. The program was funded by the National 

 Science Foundation under GX-34659 for the period July 1 to 

 December 31. 1972. This activity has been termed "Phase I" 

 of the fcrromanganese research program and represents a base- 

 lino study of our current state of knowledge of manganese 

 nodules on the ocean floor. Most of the reports resulting from 

 this research program were presented in the Phase I Report. 

 During 1973. the Phase I Report was printed and a Scien- 

 tific Council was established to guide the program. The Council 

 functioned also in a proposal screening capacity reviewing 40 

 original proposals. 14 of which were finally submitted to the 

 National Science Foundation for funding. Several technical 

 reports and conference proceedings were printed. Funding of 

 the 14 approved Phase II proposals commenced in the early 

 spring of 1974. and the program then began to accelerate. Two 

 cruises were conducted in summer 1974. during which much 

 sample material and data were collected. Distribution of samples 

 has begun. Most program investigators have received material 

 on which to begin their work. 



International cooperation has been an important aspect of 

 the program since its inception. Attendance at the conferences 

 the program has sponsored has been marked by international 

 participation. In 1973 there was direct scientific cooperation 

 by several U.S. program participants and Dr. Geoffrey P. 

 Glasby of the New Zealand Oceanographic Institute. There 

 have been valuable exchanges with the West German Valdivia 

 Manganese Exploration Group, which cosponsorcd a symposium 

 in Hawaii in the summer of 1973. In 1974 there was inter- 

 national participation in sea-going activities. Much of the equip- 

 ment used on program cruises was made available from industry 

 and government, both foreign and domestic. In particular, the 

 program is indebted to Kennecott Exploration Inc., Ocean Re- 

 sources Inc. f representing an international consortium), the 



West German Valdivia Group and the French CNEXO. 



The Inter-University Program of Research on Fcrroman- 

 ganese Deposits of the Ocean Floor will extend from April 1 

 to December 31, 1975. Institutions that will participate are: 

 Hawaii Institute of Geophysics (University of Hawaii), La- 

 mont-Doherty Geological Observatory, Massachusetts Institute 

 of Technology, University of Michigan, University of Rhode 

 Island, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of 

 Southern California, University of Washington, Washington 

 State University, and University of Wisconsin. 



The specific aims of the Seabed Assessment Program limit 

 the Manganese Nodule Project investigations to fcrromanganese 

 deposits that can be considered a mineral resource — deposits 

 that have a sufficiently high content of copper, nickel, and/or 

 cobalt to be considered potential ores. Thus constrained, the 

 program is defined by two major questions: 



1 ) What processes are responsible for incorporation of excep- 

 tionally high concentrations of copper, nickel, and cobalt in 

 fcrromanganese nodules in certain limited regions? and 



2) What controls the areal density of nodules, especially in 

 regions where nodules have a high copper-nickel content? 



Investigations must include the mode of nodule formation and 

 conditions that determine the density and grade of the nodules 

 at the sediment surface. It is known that in the northern equa- 

 torial Pacific significant variations in area density of nodules 

 occur over small distances, in the range of meters to kilometers. 

 Questions to be resolved by the study include: 



1 ) What are the phase assemblages and what is the crystal 

 chemistry of nodules? 



2) Can the growth history of nodules be deduced from internal 

 structures and textures? 



3 ) What is the relationship between benthic biota and nodules? 



4) What is the role of sediment pore water in determining 

 the geochemistry of fcrromanganese nodules and dispersed fcrro- 

 manganese oxides? 



5) What is the rate of growth of the nodules, the accumulation 

 of sediment, and the relative rates of incorporation of the com- 

 ponent elements? 



6) How do slow-growing nodules remain on top of rapidly 

 accumulating sediment? 



7 ) What are the critical interactions between the nodules and 

 the sediment substrate? 



8 ) How does ocean bottom water influence the formation and 

 development of ferro-manganese nodules? 



9) How docs water column chemistry affect the occurrence, 

 distribution, and geochemistry of fcrromanganese nodules on 

 the sea-floor? 



10) How do sea-floor topography and structure influence 

 growth and distribution of fcrromanganese nodules? 



Manganese Nodule Project Publications 



Technical Report No. 1. NSF GX-33616, IDOE-NSF. 1972. 

 Fcrromanganese deposits of the North Pacific, by D. R. 

 Horn. H. M. Horn, and M. N. Delach. 



36 



