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UNITED NATIONSDEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME •
CRUISE REPORT
ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMISSION FORASIA AND THE PACifiC
Kl RI BATl LINt..: ISLANDS NODU LE SURVEY
Prepar d for:
CG1MIT'l'El:FOR CO-ORDINATION 01-'
JOINT PROSPLCTING FW ~11NI:RAL
RESClJRCES IN SOUTII PAC IF ic OFFSIIORI-.
AREAS (CCOP /SOPi\C) WORK PROCRAMML
ceSP-l/Kl. 2
I-20 May 1980
by
K B Lewi s
CRUISE RI:PORT NO. 43of PE/KI-2
10 July 1980
As a contribution by:
UNDP Pr oj'ect OfficeProject RAS/79/074Investigation of MineralPotential of the SouthPacific
KIRIBATI LINE ISLANOSNODULESURVl:Y
1-20 May 1980
CRUISE KI-80(3)
CRUISE REPORTNO. 43
PE/KI-2
INTRODUCTIONANDBACKGROllND
'This cruise was undertaken as part of the CCOP/SOPACWork Programme
CCSP-1/KI.2 (Investigation of the occurrence of manganese nodules and crusts
in the Kiribati region).
Several earlier CCOP/SOPACcruises have sampled the abyssal sea floor
for manganese nodules in various parts of the Kiribati offshore EEZ, including
the Gilbert Islands (KI-79(l)), the Phoenix Islands (KI-80(1)), and around the
Southern Line Islands (KI-80 (2)). This cruise was intended to provide
r connu.i s sunc Lnf ormu t ion on nodu l e d ist r i but ion and composition u l ong the
eastern boundu ry of tho Kjr ibut i I:LZ, oust of the LlW) Is Iund s .
Syntheses of earlier results on nodule distribution in the South Pacific
appear to suggest t hat manganese nodules are generally most abundant between'
4000m and 5400m deep but tend to be concentrated at different depths in
different basins. Nodule abundance is generally greatest close to the'
carbonate compensation depth, which in turn is influenced by the flow of the
Antarctic Bottom water. They also tend to be concentrated in areas of gentle,
positive relief. These generalisations influenced the selection of sites for
the present survey.
Some theories suggest that concentrations of the important elements, Cu,
Ni and Co are likely to be highest in the eastern South Pacific, where pro-
ductivity is generally high, rather than in the western South· Pacific where
productivity is lower. Thus a survey along th eastern boundary of the CCOP/
SOPACarea was considered to be of importance.
Nodul e s moderately-rich in Ni anti Cu l2-2~9o) have been reported from
depths between 4800 and SOOOmin the Tapu Basin between the Southern Line
Islands and the Marques as Islands, north of Tahiti. This is regarded 'as one of
the few areas in the South Pacific where nodules with economic P9tential are
likely to be found. llowever, few samples are available from within .the Kiribati
EEZ.
, \
" r
In addition, the Ki.r i bar I Pill't o{ r hc Li ne I s Land s extends into the
northern hemisphere close to .urot he r region f nodules with relatively high
Cu and Ni concentrations south or !Iowa 11
CIW ISE OBJECTIVES
The objective of this cruise wu~ to swnple the sea floor for manganese
nodules in the far east of the KLnbati I:I:Z, to the east of the Line Islands.
PERSONNEL PARTICIPATING
Survey Personnel:
Keith B. Lewis: New Zeu la nd OCeanographic Institute, Wellington,
New Zealand
Anthony T. Utanga: Department of Survey and Physical Planning,
Rarot onga , Cook Js lund s
I.dw/lrd ~/lJllllll'I': lJNIlI' l'I'qIC~1 '1;111
Andrew Ap l in : Impc r iu l College, London, United Ki ng d om
Shin's P rsonneJ:
Capt. W. Aust in : Masr e r , I~/V MACIiIAS
C. lir ke Len s : Jst ~1ute
(: . B I 'Ill: 2nd Mul l'
W. Meyers: Cuo"
EQUIPMENT AND FACILlTll:S
Th cuu i pmcnt used Oil this cvu i :«: consisted or the fo l l owin g :
Magnavox MXII1l2A S•.lrell II c Nav ig ur o r u nd l'rt nr c r
Raytheon ('TR Tr ansc e iVCI' and 7kllz Transducer
L1'C 60:\ Rec o rd 'J'
Mollified (for w i r e ope r a r. r on ) "FI't: hiJ I" Gr ab WIth
S d irnent Cat 'hers ,Ind "Free Fall" Cam r a s attached
Bent hos Ldge rton Sonar !'ing 'f
l lam Radio (contact w i t h S. Ki nguu , R.r r ot onga , COQk Islands)
Equipment Lost: None
Equipment Inoperable: "Ft'e e Fall" Grubs (no weights available)
fPC 3200 Recorder (amplifier fault)
PRELIMINARYRESULTS
The nine stations o'curied were between 70S and 70N and ranged in
depth from 46l0m to 5355m. The s umplc stat ions and ship's track are shown
on the sketch diagram, Figure 1, of Appendix 1, attached. Results of the
sampling work at each station are surnmar i.zed In Table I of Appendix 1.
Only four stations yielded ,nodules. In three samples south of the
equator, nodules were moderately abundant and in one sample north of the
equator, there were a few small fragments. The southernmost sample, which
was in the Northwest corner of tile 'l'apu Basin consisted of fragments of
several large (Slcm) discoidal nodules whereas the other nodule samples were
generally small and irregular.
Small sediment samples were obtained at 8 stations. At two deeper
than 5000m the sediment was residua I brown clay. At f ive stations the
sed iment consisted of various light brown mi stur e s of residual brown clay
and f'or am/nanno ooze, indicating that the samples were collected just above a
carbonate compensat ion depth at about 4800-5000m deep.
Bottom photographs were attempted at seven stat ions, but successful
results were only obtained at Stat lOI 1.
CONe WSlONS ANDRLCCW1ENUATlONS
This r ec onna i s s anc survey along the eastern margm of the Kiribati
EEl. (east of the Line Islands) from 70S to 70N suggests that polymetallic
nodules are not abundant in th area. Nodules were collected at only 4 of
the 9 stations occupied. Grout c sr abundunc es occurred ea st of the Southern
Line Islands, An overall appraisal of the nodules already collected in the
ca st er n Kr r iba t i , Cook island and lren, ..h I'o l ync s ra Rcg ion is required
before further work is contemplated.
4
I'IOHK nlM/\lNJ NCo
Till' nud u l .s , scd uuc-ut :-';IJilple', Illel plll)( ug."i1plls .o l t cc t.cd Oil this cruise
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a nd lfl Aus t r-a l i a .
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APPENDix 11
CRUISE NARRATIVE
The cruise began at Penrhyn in the northern Cook Islands. It was to
have started at 'l'ah it i but, because of delays in !'ago I'ag o at the start of the
preceding cruise, arrangements were made to refuel at I'onrhyn rather than
Tahiti. This ar ru ng III nt saved about 5 days 'dead' steaming to Tahiti at the
end of the previous . r-u i s e leg and allowed ext r a f Icx ib r l r t y on till:" leg.
The UNDPcharter vessel ~1ACHIASarrived at Penrhyn on ~londay 28 April
1980 with Keith Lewis, Tony Ut ang a and Andy Aplin already aboard. There, it
was to rendezvous with the UNDP (Apia) fisheries research charter vesse
CRESCENTGYPSY which was bringing fuel from Rarotonga. The CRf:SCENTGYPSY
was delayed by bad weather and did not arrive until 1 May. On board was
Ed Saphore, UNDP Llectronics Technician who was to join the cruise at Penrhyn.
Tony Utanga was to have left the vessel at Tahiti. Because there was no
scheduled ship or plane leaving Penrhyn for at least a month he decided to
continue on the MAClllAS to Honolulu and to fly home from there.
The MACHIAS.sa i led from Penrhyn about 3pm on Thursday 1 May 1980,
rmmedi at e Iy after r efue l ing .
Immediately out s t de Penrhyn th ~lACt-IIA assisted the CRESCENTGYPSY
locate a suitable spot to place a fishing buoy.
It then continued on a t ra k wide of the island and ut to the east
that completed a bathymetric survey of the island begun on the preceding
cruise. It took four days st ier i ng eastwards into moderate seas to reach
the first station. There was to have been a stat ion further east in the
middle of the Tapu Basin and in the ext r em sou heastern corner of the
Kiribati l.LZ but his wus ubuud oncd in view of the de Iuy at Penr hyn.
Fr om 5-13 May nine grab .t at ions were occupied. one on each day, on a
NNWt r end ing line along the eu st er n edge of the Kiribati HZ, east of the
l.i no l s l und s . III gen'ri.1I all ·rfort was mao to s e l ec t sites with an elevated
hut not steep ropo~I-'l/)lJy but t h i s WiJ~ not, always po s s ib I '.
The chart 'I' f'or the present series of cruises ended by arrangement at a
point BON, lS7'W. 'l'h i s point was passed at 1700 l on 14 May. The sounding
survey continued to Honolulu where the vessel berthed on 20 May 1980.
ADDeNDUM i 1'0 APPeNDIX
I '1<IJI 'I, I~I:I)()IU NO. ,n
Ill:SLJLI''-i 01 NOIHJ!.I: ANAI.YSIS
011 this l'r1IISt: no.lu Ic-. Wl'rl' J'('\'UVt'I\,t1 ('rOIIi t h rc c s t ar ions . MHteriCll
fl'()11I Stillion I, III t lu- S\llllll"I'1I 1,111\ 1',1,111.1', 1101"11 01 Cn ru l i ru- l s l nn d , at,which the nodule density was 4.~U kg/m-. Was s cn t to the Australian Mineral
Development Laboratory, and the result ot the ana l y s i s is tabulated below.
The small amount of material from St a ti ous ~ .ind 4 was taken by Mr Andrew
Aplin for analysis at l mpe r i a I College, I.ondon , and his results are not yet
to hand.
~ Fewight %
Mn:Feratio
--- -- TNi+Cu+Co
4.35 O.9u I . ()O u. I~ 2.0327 .0 6.2
I:U Cowight %
---t-------f-----i
Th e ana Iyt i cal re s u l t s .r rr- 111 \ I Ill' w i t h those from the Penrhyn
Bus i n in the Cook 1s1;IIlJ:-., whll'" "htlWt't1 111.11 1I1)~h ):I';ldc:-. of NI+Cu+Co W re
as s oc iut cd with IIlgh Mn:r·' r.r t i o-, , ,llId low uo du l c dcus i t ie s .
These results can be compu r ed with the results from 27 stations
elsewhere in th South rn Li.n e Is lands, averaged by Raw on & Ryan (1978) on
their Lamont-Doh rt y map 01 "Oce an ~'Joor Scd r mcnt i and Po Iyme t a Ll i c 'Nodules",
which showed seafloor coverages of nodules of uroun d 85% and an average
grade of 1. % Ni+'u+:o. I'h l es s e r bund ance at, u r station may well b
related'to the higher grade of the nodules.