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.

, \

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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

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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.

These analytical res u Lts do no t Lhallgu ou r preliminary assessment

o the Southern L1n~ j S j and: a~ .i n :11' 'd o t low C .onomi.c potential as far as

nodules are concerned.

N F Exon() October 1980