Compositional variation and genesis of ferromanganese crusts of the Afanasiy–Nikitin Seamount, Equatorial Indian Ocean

Eight ferromanganese crusts (Fe–Mn crusts) with igneous and sedimentary substrates collected at different water depths from the Afanasiy–Nikitin Seamount are studied for their bulk major, minor and rare earth element composition. The Mn/Fe ratios < 1.5 indicate the hydrogenetic accretion of the Fe–Mn hydroxides. These Fe–Mn crusts are enriched in Co (up to 0.9%, average ∼ 0.5%) and Ce. The Ce-content is the highest reported so far (up to 3763 ppm, average ∼ 2250 ppm) for global ocean seamount Fe–Mn crusts. In spite of general similarity in the range of major, minor, and strictly trivalent rare earth element composition, the dissimilarity between the present Fe–Mn crusts and the Pacific seamount Fe–Mn crusts in Co and Ce associations with major mineral phases indicates inter-oceanic heterogeneity and region-specific conditions responsible for their enrichment. The decrease in Ce-anomaly (from ∼ 8 to ∼ 1.5) with increasing water depth (from ∼ 1.7 km to ∼ 3.2 km) might suggest that the modern intermediate depth low oxygen layer was shifted and sustained at a deeper depth for a long period in the past. 1