(Table 1, Page 181 Chemical analysis of a manganese nodule from the Pacific Ocean

A seabed nuclear probe which was designed to measure up to 30 elements at parts per thousand to parts per hundred levels has been tested for the analysis of simulated manganese nodule fields. The probe contains a neutron source, californium-252, which activates the elements in the nodules. The resulting radioelements which emit characteristic gamma radiation are analyzed in situ during 2 to 200 second counting intervals with Ge{(Li) or NaI(Tl) detector systems. The spectra taken in situ in a marine environment show excellent resolution and indicated the feasibility of mapping the density and economic value of manganese nodules. The study demonstrated the feasibility of in situ analysis to map the Mn, Al, Co, V, and Cu concentrations in manganese nodule fields, and this information together with correlations between Ni, Co, Cu, and Mn obtained from a related study indicates that Ni concentrations can also be rather precisely estimated.