From Australian Oceans Data Network
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Deep-sea sediments and manganese nodules from the southern Tasman Sea

Created 05/03/2026

Updated 05/03/2026

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Two manganese nodules having a high clay content, a low Mn:Fe ratio, and low contents of valuable metals (Ni 0.25%, Cu 0.17%, Co 0.06%) were recovered in a grab sample during a short geological cruise in HMAS Kimble in the southern Tasman Sea in May 1979. Five stations were occupied. Free-fall grabs recovered sediment or pumice from four stations; nothing was recovered from the fifth. The carbonate compensation depth in the region is about 4500 m. Reddish brown clay, but no manganese nodules, was recovered in the central southern Tasman Sea, from depths of 4900-5100 m. The nodules, together with grey calcareous mud, were obtained from a depth of 4300 m, farther to the northwest, near Gascoyne Seamount (250 n. miles SE of Sydney).

The results suggest nodules with high metal values are likely to exist only in the broad and deep depression in the central southern Tasman Sea southeast of Gascoyne Seamount, where sedimentation rates are low and oxidising conditions prevail. Whether nodule fields are present or not will only be resolved by considerably more sampling.

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Additional Info

Field Value
Title Deep-sea sediments and manganese nodules from the southern Tasman Sea
Language eng
Licence Not Specified
Landing Page https://data.gov.au/data/dataset/89abeecb-509d-4b20-bea3-d7d9bde201e1
Contact Point
Australian Ocean Data Network
clientservices@ga.gov.au
Reference Period 20/04/2018
Geospatial Coverage
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
{
  "coordinates": [
    [
      [
        154.0,
        -41.0
      ],
      [
        161.0,
        -41.0
      ],
      [
        161.0,
        -34.0
      ],
      [
        154.0,
        -34.0
      ],
      [
        154.0,
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      ]
    ]
  ],
  "type": "Polygon"
}
Data Portal Australian Oceans Data Network

Data Source

This dataset was originally found on Australian Oceans Data Network "Deep-sea sediments and manganese nodules from the southern Tasman Sea". Please visit the source to access the original metadata of the dataset:
https://catalogue.aodn.org.au/geonetwork/srv/eng/csw/dataset/deep-sea-sediments-and-manganese-nodules-from-the-southern-tasman-sea7