Southern Tasman Sea Manganese Nodule and Sediment Samples

Southern Tasman Sea data details two manganese nodules and sediment samples collected during a 1979 geological cruise aboard HMAS Kimble. The dataset includes geochemical analysis of the nodules, reporting nickel, copper, and cobalt content, and describes sediment types from five sampling stations. It provides bathymetric context with depths ranging from 4300 to 5100 meters near the Gascoyne Seamount.

Use Cases

• Analyze the Mn:Fe ratio and nickel, copper, cobalt content of manganese nodules for geochemical classification.
• Correlate sediment type (e.g., reddish brown clay, grey calcareous mud) with sampling depth and station location.
• Investigate the relationship between nodule formation and environmental factors like the carbonate compensation depth (approx. 4500 m).
• Map sample recovery locations relative to bathymetric features such as the Gascoyne Seamount and the deep central Tasman Sea depression.

Strengths

• Provides specific geochemical measurements for two nodules, including Ni (0.25%), Cu (0.17%), and Co (0.06%) content.
• Includes detailed bathymetric and geographic context with depths from 4300 to 5100 meters and station locations.
• Contains descriptive sedimentology data differentiating clay, mud, and pumice samples from multiple stations.

Limitations

• Very small sample size with only two analyzed manganese nodules and samples from four of five stations.
• Data is temporally limited to a single sampling cruise in May 1979, with no apparent updates.
• Original data format (HTML, PDF) may require manual extraction for structured analysis, and specific columnar data is unknown.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia Data

Collection Method

Samples collected via free-fall grab during a geological cruise on HMAS Kimble.

Time Range

May 1979

Freshness

null

Geography

Southern Tasman Sea, near Gascoyne Seamount (250 nautical miles SE of Sydney).