Manganese Ores of the Sea of Japan (the Russian Economic Zone)
In the Sea of Japan in the Russian economic zone, 10 regions of formation of ferromanganese deposits have been identified. Ore crusts of different regions differ in thickness, internal structure, and chemical composition. The average content of Mn is 36%, Fe is 55%, and the Mn/Fe ratio is 515. The most promising areas for detailed studies of manganese mineralization have been identified. Manganese content in the crusts of these areas reaches 63%, which are 2-3 times higher than on the guyots of the central part of the Pacific Ocean. Unlike ocean analogues, these ores lie at a much smaller depth, near large port cities and possible sources of sales. Their extraction can be regulated only by Russian laws, which allows them to be considered as a possible independent source of manganese raw materials, and possibly of other metals.