太平洋海山钴结壳资源量估算

Resource Estimation of Co-Rich Crusts of Seamounts in the Pacific

为合理地估算出太平洋海山钴结壳资源量,基于我国西太平洋海山钴结壳拖网采样调查资料以及对太平洋海山钴结壳资源分布规律和钴结壳矿区圈定参数指标的深入研究,创造性地按海山不同高度、不同洋壳年龄赋予不同结壳厚度,进而首次计算出太平洋海山干结壳资源量为(507.06～1014.11)×108t,锰为(111.15～222.29)×108t,钴为(3.04～6.08)×108t,镍为(2.23～4.46)×108t,铜为(0.66～1.32)×108t,结壳分布面积为2062862km2.通过Co通量与结壳Co沉积量、结壳厚度的相关分析表明,赋予不同洋壳年龄段的结壳厚度是理论厚度的6.10%～12.20%,这与Kuetal.得出"结壳生长时间只占其整个生命史4%"的认识非常相近,说明所赋结壳厚度基本合理,得出的结壳资源量基本正确.为整个大洋海盆内海山钴结壳资源量的估算提供了新方法.

Marine Co-rich crusts are important as potential mineral resources for Co,Ni,Cu,Mn,and other metals,as well as for the paleoenvironment signals stored in their stratigraphic layers. The higher Co,Ni and Pt contents of crusts relative to pelagic polymetallic nodules and hydrothermal deposits have made seamount crusts a potential target for commercial exploitation. In order to obtain the amount of Co-rich crust resources on seamounts in the Pacific,based on the surveying data of Co-rich crust resources on seamounts in the western Pacific by means of dredge hauling,a series of detailed research on the distribution of Co-rich crust resources and parameter index for delineation of Co-rich crust resources on seamounts in the Pacific,each seamount is endowed with the crust thickness according to its height and age of ocean crust and consequent amount of dry crust resources is at first calculated to be （507.06-1 014.11）×108 t,（111.15-222.29）×108 t manganese,（3.04-6.08）×108 t cobalt,（2.23-4.46）×108 t nickel,（0.66-1.32）×108 t copper,and distributed area of crusts on seamounts in Pacific is 2 062 862 km2. By means of analyzing relationships between Co-fluxes with amount of Co-deposited in the crust and crust thickness,the endowed crust thickness accounts for 6.10%-12.20% of the theoretical deductive thickness,which is close to Ku＇s conclusion of ＂the crusts were actually growing for 4% of their lifetime＂. It is shows that the endowed number of crust thickness is reasonable and the obtained resource amount is reliable. This paper provides a new method for estimating the amount of Co-rich crust resources on seamounts in a whole deep-sea basin.