Note to users. If you're seeing this message, it means that your browser cannot find this page's style/presentation instructions -- or possibly that you are using a browser that does not support current Web standards. Find out more about why this message is appearing, and what you can do to make your experience of our site the best it can be.

Science 2 May 1986:
Vol. 232. no. 4750, pp. 600 - 608
DOI: 10.1126/science.232.4750.600
Prev | Table of Contents | Next

Articles

Marine Cobalt Resources

F. T. MANHEIM 1

1 Office of Marine Geology, Atlantic-Gulf Branch, U.S. Geological Survey, Woods Hole, MA 02543.

Ferromanganese oxides in the open oceans are more enriched in cobalt than any other widely distributed sediments or rocks. Concentrations of cobalt exceed 1 percent in ferromanganese crusts on seamounts, ocean ridges, and other raised areas of the ocean. The cobaltrich crusts may be the slowest growing of any earth material, accumulating one molecular layer every 1 to 3 months. Attention has been drawn to crusts as potential resources because they contain cobalt, manganese, and platinum, three of the four priority strategic metals for the United States. Moreover, unlike abyssal nodules, whose recovery is complicated by their dominant location in international waters, some of the most cobalt-rich crusts occur within the exclusive economic zone of the United States and other nations. Environmental impact statements for crust exploitation are under current development by the Department of the Interior.


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Seabed Materials.
J. M. BROADUS (1987)
Science 235, 853-860
   Abstract »    PDF »


To Advertise     Find Products

Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)