Chemical composition of sediments, manganese micronodules and nodules from the South Pacific

A geochemical (major and trace elements including rare earths) study was made of core samples drilled between the Touamotou Archipelago and the Marqueses Islands during the COPANO campaign (R/V Le Noroit). The samples consisted of cores of surface sediment and a large flattened nodule with an indurated nucleus. In one of the cores, the comosition of manganese micronodules was also udertaken. The geochemical determination of most of the major and trace constituants has been by direct-reading arc spectrometry. Na and K have been measured by optical emission spectroscopy. Samples were first dessicated at 110°C before analysis. Loss on ignition was also determined at 1000°C.