Abstract
Summary Concentrations of minerals on the sea floor around New Zealand occur in a manner which makes them economically significant as future mineral resources. Three major environments of interest are beaches, the continental shelf, and the adjacent deep‐sea floor. New Zealand's west coast beaches are well known as mineral resources containing large quantities of iron and titanium ores. Similar concentrations representing fossil beaches are also known from the continental shelf. The deep‐sea floor adjacent to the continental shelf is formed around New Zealand by the New Zealand Plateau, an extensive submarine platform in 500–1,500 m. Terrigenous sedimentation is negligible in this environment where, as a result, pure calcareous oozes are common. Vigorous bottom currents and suitable reducing micro‐environments encourage glauconite formation. In the past, possibly from warmer waters of the early and mid Tertiary, phosphates were precipitated from seawater to form phosphorite nodules, a potential resource of phosphates. During late Tertiary or Quaternary, volcanicity at the Antipodes Islands and on the Macquarie Ridge resulted in the formation of manganese deposits. Manganese minerals also occur in bulk on the floor of the Southwestern Pacific Basin away from the New Zealand Plateau. The origin, bulk, and significance of these deposits are discussed.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
More From: New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.