Chemical composition of ferromanganese concretions and host bottom sediments from the Black Sea

Ferromanganese concretions spread out on the bottom of the shallow northwest part of the Black Sea are mainly represented by Fe and Mn nodules on shells and substituted worm tubes. Element composition of these formations was measured by methods of chemical, atomic absorbtion, neutron activation, and ICP-MS analyses. It was established that Fe and Mn contents and Mn/Fe ratio in the concretions varied considerably and which controlled occurrence of several associated metals and minor elements; some of them have not been studied in Black Sea concretions before.

Annotated record of the Fe-Mn concretions recovered in the Kara sea during the M. Gorkiy survey in 1945

The Kara scientific expedition of 1945, using the fishing trawler M. Gorkiy and survey vessel Osetr, took sediment samples in the Kara Sea in addition to other oceanographic work. The investigations of sediments composition was compared with biological and hydrological data obtained in the same areas. The sediments sampled were subjected to mechanical, mineralogical, chemical and faunistic analyses. During this survey iron-manganese concretions were recovered.