Seabed Mapping Using Shipboard Multibeam Acoustic Data for Assessing the Spatial Distribution of Ferromanganese Crusts on Seamounts in the Western Pacific
Seabed Mapping Using Shipboard Multibeam Acoustic Data for Assessing the Spatial Distribution of Ferromanganese Crusts on Seamounts in the Western Pacific
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DOI：
10.3390/min10020155
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发表时间：
2020-02-01
期刊：
影响因子：
2.5
通讯作者：
Kim, Jonguk
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Joo, Jongmin;Kim, Seung-Sep;Kim, Jonguk
富钴铁锰结壳（铁锰结壳）分布在海山、海脊、高原表面，是钴、镍、铂等稀有金属的潜在经济资源。铁锰结壳矿床的分布及其地貌特征是选择可能的采矿地点和预测深海采矿活动对环境影响的先决条件。在这里，我们使用船载多波束回声测深仪（MBES）数据和深拖相机系统（DCS）的海底图像绘制了西太平洋海山山顶和侧翼铁锰结壳沉积物的空间分布图，并评估了声学反向散射变化与铁锰结壳的出现之间的关系。我们发现高反向散射强度、陡峭的海底坡度梯度和铁锰结壳的出现之间存在正相关关系。然而，我们的分析无法有效区分混合海底区域小区域内出现的几种海底类型之间的空间边界，特别是在存在过渡区和不连续海底类型的情况下。因此，我们得出结论，MBES 数据可以成为限制大勘探区域铁锰结壳矿床空间分布的有价值的工具。
Cobalt-rich ferromanganese crusts (Fe-Mn crusts), potential economic resources for cobalt, nickel, platinum, and other raremetals, are distributed on the surface of seamounts, ridges, and plateaus. Distribution of Fe-Mn crust deposits and their geomorphological characteristics are prerequisites to selecting possible mining sites and to predicting the environmental impact of deep-sea mining activity. Here, we map the spatial distribution of Fe-Mn crust deposits on seamount summits and flanks in the Western Pacific using shipboard multibeam echo sounder (MBES) data and seafloor images from a deep-towed camera system (DCS) and evaluate the relationship between acoustic backscatter variations and the occurrence of Fe-Mn crusts. We find a positive correlation between high backscatter intensity, steep seabed slope gradients, and the occurrence of Fe-Mn crusts. However, our analysis was not effective to distinguish the spatial boundary between several seabed types that occur over small areas in mixed seabed zones, particularly where transition zones and discontinuous seabed types are present. Thus, we conclude that MBES data can be a valuable tool for constraining spatial distribution of Fe-Mn crust deposits over a large exploration area.