The Indian Ocean Nodule Field: petrotectonic evolution and ferromanganese deposits

Abstract

The Indian Ocean Nodule Field (IONF) is significant from several points of view. Roughly bordered by 10°S to 16°30′S and 72°E to 80°E and located within the Central Indian Ocean Basin (CIOB), the field hosts the world's second largest and second high grade manganese nodule deposit, after the equatorial nodule belt in the north Pacific Ocean. Moreover, the crust underlying this field is characterised by unique morphotectonic signatures owing to its formation between 60 and 49 Ma under three variable spreading conditions, fast, intermediate and slow, from the Indian Ocean Ridge System (IORS). The nodule field has been surveyed both extensively (more than 0.4 million km 2 area) and intensively (comprising of a large geophysical data set and geological sample inventory) during the last two decades. Several morphotectonic features, such as seamounts, hills, ridge-normal lineaments and ridge-parallel lineations, have disturbed the apparently smooth topographic gradient (1:7000) of the seafloor here. Variations in the rate of spreading and formation of new oceanic crust along the ridge crest, during more than one episode of India–Eurasia collision, are imprinted in the IONF. Based on the nature of the ridge-parallel lineations, which are related to the rate of crustal accretion, the field is divided in to four sectors: A, B, C, and D, from north to south. Sectors A and C were formed at a fast rate of spreading (90–95 mm/year, half-rate) and sectors B and D were formed at an intermediate (55 mm/year) and slow (26 mm/year) rates, respectively. The predominance of tensional stress in sectors A and C caused asymmetrical flexuring of the seafloor, resulting in widely spaced faults and folds with low amplitude and large wavelength. In contrast, the seafloor flexuring in sector D are closely spaced, long, symmetrical and of high amplitude. The timing and intensity of the collision of India with Eurasia is constrained by the variable intensity of these flexures, suggesting probably a ‘soft’ touch at ∼58 Ma and the hard collision at about 51 Ma. The nodule field hosts several seamounts, both as isolated entities and in linear chains, which are arranged parallel to the flow lines along the direction of absolute motion of the Indian plate. The distribution, morphology and growth patterns of a majority of these seamounts are related to spreading rate, suggesting their formation at the ridge crest. However, many of the seamounts show more than one stage of growth with local intraplate volcanism contributing to the enlargement of the larger ancient seamounts. Varieties of volcanics, such as tholeiitic basalts, spilites, ferrobasalts and pumice, occur within the IONF. The alteration of some of these volcanics has resulted in palagonitisation of the glass and formation of zeolites. Subsequently, during its journey away from the ridge crest to the abyssal areas, the crust underlying the nodule field witnessed intraplate volcanism. This is evident from the addition of younger rocks at the base of the ancient seamounts, inconsistent growth of volcanoes, eruption of ferrobasalt corresponding to the areas of high amplitude magnetic zones and presence of volcanogenic–hydrothermal materials (vhm) of 10 ka age. These findings collectively hint that the IONF is geodynamically unstable and may have been volcanically active in the recent past. During the last 8 Ma, growth of authigenic ferromanganese deposits in the form of manganese nodules and crusts has occurred in the nodule field. The deposits occur at an average water depth of 5000 m. The basinal geomorphology, intraplate tectonic deformations and volcanic eruptions considerably influence the formation, development, morphology, mineralogy and composition of these deposits. The data show that the large seamounts, reverse faults and fracture zones (FZs) supply rock fragments as ‘seeds’ for the nodule formation. The hydrogenous precipitation from the overlying water column is the primary source of metal accumulation in the nodules. The secondary (relatively weak) intraplate eruptions along the base of ancient seamounts or lineaments, subsurface igneous activity and diagenetic remobilisation of metals have also played significant role in the growth and enrichment of the deposit. Based on a large data set, we estimate the contribution of various physico-chemical parameters and model the probable conditions of formation of the ferromanganese deposits in the IONF. The model also hints at the location where the resource exploitation should be rewarding.