Reconstructing Past Redox and Microbial Environments in Deep-Sea Ferromanganese Deposit Minerals

Deep-sea ferromanganese nodules and crusts are not only potential resources for critical minerals such as cobalt and nickel, essential for the green energy transition and secondary battery technologies, but also valuable geological archives recording millions of years of ocean environmental history. However, traditional bulk geochemical analyses often fail to capture the fine-scale chemical and biological variations recorded within the microscopic growth layers of these deposits.

This project aims to reconstruct high-resolution records of past seafloor redox conditions and biological activity by combining sulfur isotope analysis of barite minerals preserved within ferromanganese deposits with organic matter mapping. These analyses will allow us to distinguish barite formed in the water column from that formed within sediments through microbial processes. This research will assess how reliably ferromanganese deposits record past ocean chemistry, and the role that microbial activity plays in their formation.

The project represents a strategic collaboration between Pusan National University (South Korea), providing unique intact deep-sea samples and micro-mineralogical analysis expertise, and the University of Saskatchewan (Canada), contributing world-class facilities for isotope and organic geochemical analyses. The results are expected to refine models of deep-sea mineral formation, supporting responsible resource development and improving our understanding of long-term environmental change in the deep ocean.

Faculty Supervisor:

Man-Yin Tsang

Student:

Partner:

Pusan National University

Discipline:

Earth science

Sector:

Natural Resources; Other

University:

University of Saskatchewan

Program: