Cape Leeuwin Manganese Nodule Deposit Chemistry and Sampling Locations

A 1976 research cruise by HMAS Diamantina sampled about 2000 ferromanganese nodules from a large deposit discovered in 1970. The deposit, named the 'Southeast Indian Ocean Manganese Pavement', is estimated to cover nearly 900,000 km² southwest of Cape Leeuwin. The data likely contains chemical and mineralogical analyses of the nodules, with positioning by celestial navigation.

Use Cases

• Analyze the chemical composition of manganese nodules based on the described sampling and study.
• Map the distribution of seafloor mineral deposits based on the described large geographic area.
• Study the relationship between bottom currents and nodule formation based on the evidence of scour marks and disconformities mentioned.
• Model sedimentation rates in regions with strong bottom currents based on the hypotheses presented in the description.

Strengths

• Focuses on a large, specific deposit estimated to cover nearly 900,000 km².
• Based on physical sampling of about 2000 nodules from a dedicated research cruise.
• Links nodule presence to environmental factors like bottom currents, providing geological context.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Positioning was by celestial navigation, with potential errors of up to 10 km.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia Data

Collection Method

Sampling via light box dredge during a 1976 research cruise (HMAS Diamantina), following discovery via bottom photography.

Time Range

1970 (discovery) and 1976 (sampling cruise).

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-30 13:41:31.029245; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Indian Ocean southwest of Cape Leeuwin, Western Australia.