(Table 2, Page 270) Average chemical composition of manganese nodules and crust collected at different localities the Pacific Ocean

Considerable regional variations in the chemical composition of manganese nodules from a wide range of the Pacific Ocean have been observed. These variations can be more exactly expressed in terms of inter-element relationships. In particular, Cu-Mn and Cu-Ni associations reveal that Cu content in pelagic nodules increases rapidly in proportion to those of Mn or Ni. In nodules from continental borderland and hemipelagic areas, even if Mn or Ni contents increase, that of Cu increases only slightly. It is suggested that the considerable chemical differences within individual nodules and between nodules from the same site, at a limited pelagic area where there is no marked change in depositional conditions of nodules, are due to the role of hydrolyzable trace elements in the formation of nodules.

已观测到广泛分布于太平洋不同区域的锰结核，其化学成分存在显著的区域性差异。这类差异可通过元素间的关联关系得到更精准的表征。具体而言，铜-锰（Cu-Mn）与铜-镍（Cu-Ni）的元素关联特征显示：远洋锰结核中的铜含量会随锰或镍含量的升高呈快速正比增长。而在大陆边缘海与半远洋区域的锰结核中，即便锰或镍含量上升，铜含量仅会出现小幅增长。研究认为，在沉积环境无显著变化的有限远洋区域内，单个锰结核内部以及同一采样点不同锰结核之间存在的显著化学成分差异，是由可水解微量元素在锰结核形成过程中的作用所导致的。