Cape Leeuwin Manganese Nodule Deposit Samples from the Indian Ocean

The Australian Ocean Data Network hosts data from a 1976 cruise to sample the Cape Leeuwin manganese nodule deposit. HMAS Diamantina occupied 9 stations, recovering about 2000 nodules from the sea bed for chemical and mineralogical study. The deposit covers an area of approximately 900,000 km^2 on the Indian Ocean floor southwest of Cape Leeuwin.

Use Cases

• Analyze seabed mineral composition based on nodule chemistry and mineralogy mentioned in the description
• Map the distribution of ferromanganese nodules based on the described 900,000 km^2 deposit area
• Study the influence of bottom currents on sedimentation rates based on evidence of ripple marks and disconformities

Strengths

• Approximately 2000 nodules were recovered from the sea bed during the cruise
• The deposit area is described as covering nearly 900,000 km^2
• Data is associated with a specific research vessel (HMAS Diamantina) and cruise in early 1976

Limitations

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

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Samples collected using a light box dredge on a ship's hydrowire during a 10-day research cruise.

Time Range

Early 1976

Geography

Indian Ocean southwest of Cape Leeuwin, Western Australia