US EPA

8349450 

Journal Article 

The manganese nodule belt of the Pacific Ocean: geological environment, nodule formation and mining aspects 

Halbach, P; Friedrich, G; Von Stackelberg, U 

1988 

English 

The papers are based mainly on results of research voyages on the RV Valdivia and Sonne and a review of the international literature. The deposits of current economic interest are mainly distributed at depths of 4000-6000 m. Chapter 4 deals with the physical and mineralogical characteristics as well as with the chemical composition, and proposes a classification scheme for nodules and crusts. Chapter 5 describes the physical, chemical, and biological environment. Chapter 6 gives a concept for understanding how nodules and nodule fields are formed. Chapter 7 addresses the exploration methods, the technical problems, metallurgical processing, and a valuation of deep-sea mining. Chapter 8 considers the legal and economic problems of a new international deep seabed regime. The last chapter deals with the environmental impact. -after Editors