Ferromanganese crusts in the world's oceans may serve as potential sources of metals, such as cobalt and magnesium, valuable to civilian and military industry; these are metals that the United States would otherwise be dependent on foreign sources. Unlike abyssal ferromanganese nodules, which form in areas of low disturbance and high sediment accumulation, ferromanganese crusts have been found to contain three to five times more cobalt than abyssal ferromanganese nodules and can be found on harder, steeper substrates than abyssal plains, which can be too steep for permanent sediment accumulation. Ferromanganese crusts have also been documented on seamounts and plateaus within the U.S. exclusive economic zone in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans and are therefore of strategic importance to the United States Government as well as to civilian mining and metallurgical industries. A database containing ferromanganese crust occurrences throughout the world's oceans was assembled from published and unpublished sources to provide data gathering and analytical information for these samples. These data provide the digital formatted locations of the sample locations of the U.S. Geological Survey and Scripps Institution Nodule Data Bank (SNDB) from appendixes A and B. These locations from 1986 and earlier are also represented on the maps of Lane and others (1986). > Lane, C.M., Manheim, F.T., Hathaway, J.C., and Ling, T.H., 1986, Station maps of the world ocean-ferromanganese-rust database: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map, 1869, http://pubs.usgs.gov/mf/1986/1869/

This portion of the data release provides geochemical analyses data of ferromanganese rock samples collected off the coast of Hawaii. Ferromanganese crusts, nodules, and coated cobbles were collected via ROV from seamounts within the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument (PMNM) in the Pacific Ocean during E/V Nautilus expeditions NA134 and NA138 in 2021 and 2022, respectively. Ferromanganese rock samples were sent to USGS for subsampling and major and trace element geochemical analyses. Major and trace element data as well as location information (latitude, longitude, depth) for each sample are provided here.

Ferromanganese crusts were collected via dredge from seamounts within the Tuvalu Exclusive Economic Zone in the Pacific Ocean during cruise RR1310 funded by the National Science Foundation aboard the R/V Roger Revelle in 2013. USGS scientists requested these ferromanganese crust samples from the Oregon State University Marine and Geology Repository where they had been archived. Ferromanganese crust samples were sent to USGS for subsampling and major and trace element geochemical analyses. Major and trace element data and thickness for the ferromanganese crusts as well as location information (latitude, longitude, depth) for each sample are provided here.

Ferromanganese crusts were collected via dredge from seamounts within the Tuvalu Exclusive Economic Zone in the Pacific Ocean during cruise RR1310 funded by the National Science Foundation aboard the R/V Roger Revelle in 2013. USGS scientists requested these ferromanganese crust samples from the Oregon State University Marine and Geology Repository where they had been archived. Ferromanganese crust samples were sent to USGS for subsampling and major and trace element geochemical analyses. Major and trace element data and thickness for the ferromanganese crusts as well as location information (latitude, longitude, depth) for each sample are provided here.

Ferromanganese crusts, nodules, and hydrothermally altered rocks were collected via dredge within the Amerasia Basin in the Arctic Ocean during USCGC icebreaker Healy cruises HLY0805, HLY0905, and HLY1202 in 2008, 2009, and 2012 respectively. Dredged samples were donated and sent to USGS for subsampling and major and trace element geochemical analyses. Major and trace element data as well as location information (latitude, longitude, depth) for each sample are provided here.

Ferromanganese crusts were collected via dredge from seamounts within the Tuvalu Exclusive Economic Zone in the Pacific Ocean during cruise RR1310 funded by the National Science Foundation aboard the R/V Roger Revelle in 2013. USGS scientists requested these ferromanganese crust samples from the Oregon State University Marine and Geology Repository where they had been archived. Ferromanganese crust samples were sent to USGS for subsampling and x-ray diffraction analyses. Powder x-ray diffraction data for bulk and layer fractions of the ferromanganese crusts are provided here. Location information for the sample is included in each Attribute Definition of this metadata file, as well as in the geochemical data table (Tuvalu_RR1310_FeMn_geochem_data.csv) of this multi-table data release.

Powder x-ray diffraction data (XRD) for samples are provided in this portion of the data release. Ferromanganese crusts, nodules, coated cobbles, and push core sediments were collected via ROV from seamounts off the coast of Hawaii and within the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument (PMNM) in the Pacific Ocean during E/V Nautilus expeditions NA134 and NA138 in 2021 and 2022, respectively. Samples were sent to USGS for subsampling and x-ray diffraction analyses. Location information for the samples is included in each Attribute Definition of this metadata file, as well as in the geochemical data table (Hawaii_Seamounts_marine_minerals_geochemistry_data.csv) of this multi-table data release.

Powder x-ray diffraction data (XRD) for samples are provided in this portion of the data release. Ferromanganese crusts, nodules, coated cobbles, and push core sediments were collected via ROV from seamounts off the coast of Hawaii and within the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument (PMNM) in the Pacific Ocean during E/V Nautilus expeditions NA134 and NA138 in 2021 and 2022, respectively. Samples were sent to USGS for subsampling and x-ray diffraction analyses. Location information for the samples is included in each Attribute Definition of this metadata file, as well as in the geochemical data table (Hawaii_Seamounts_marine_minerals_geochemistry_data.csv) of this multi-table data release.