MANGANESE NODULE - From a depth of 6,000 metres, Southern Pacific Ocean

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MANGANESE NODULE

From the sea floor at 6,000 metres depth (3.7 miles)

From near Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia, Southern Pacific Ocean

Manganese nodules are round concretions found in great numbers on the floor of the world’s oceans, the highest concentrations on the vast abyssal plains of the Pacific Ocean, in some places covering 90% of the ocean floor.

The nodules consist of concentric, onion-like layers of manganese, iron and other metallic compounds. The growth of manganese nodules is incredibly slow, probably no more than 4 millimetres per million years.

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Size: approx 6 x 4.7 x 3.3 centimetres
Weight: 69 grams