Negative cerium anomalies in the rare earth element patterns of oceanic ferromanganese nodules

Abstract

Ferromanganese nodules from the Bauer Basin of the south equatorial Pacific are unlike virtually all oceanic nodules so far analyzed in showing negative Ce anomalies in their REE abundance patterns. In comparison with similarly Cu-Ni-enriched nodules from the north equatorial Pacific they are depleted in REE by 50–80% and are heavy REE enriched relative to intermediate REE. The REE patterns can be accounted for by the input of hydrothermal iron oxyhydroxides and associated REE to the Bauer Basin and the transfer of the REE to the nodules because of diagenetic reactions in the sediment. The excess iron input also is reflected in lower Cu/Ni ratios in the nodules as compared with nodules from the north equatorial zone, apparently because of the larger proportions of a residual Fe phase in the nodules relative to todorokite. Cerium anomalies of the Bauer Basin nodules range from −0.17 to −0.29 as compared with +0.33 to +0.07 in the north equatorial Pacific but show a parallel sensitivity of Ce anomaly to Mn/Fe ratios of the nodules. Nodules with the more positive anomalies within each group have the smallest Mn/Fe ratios and have been subjected to the greatest seawater influence whereas nodules with the more negative anomalies have the largest Mn/Fe ratios and have been subjected to the greatest diagenetic influence.