Abundance of abyssal ferromanganese nodules and ferromanganese coated rocks from the Samoa Basin (2026-604-FA)

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What does this data set describe?

Title:
Abundance of abyssal ferromanganese nodules and ferromanganese coated rocks from the Samoa Basin (2026-604-FA)
Abstract:
Ferromanganese nodules and other ferromanganese coated rocks were collected using a box core from the Samoa Basin, during USGS field activity 2026-604-FA. Ferromanganese nodules and ferromanganese coated rocks were collected by box core and total mass was determined using a digital crane scale calibrated with National Institute of Standards and Technology certified calibration weights.
Supplemental_Information:
Additional information about the field activities from which these data were derived is available online at: https://cmgds.marine.usgs.gov/fan_info.php?fan=2026-604-FA
Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.
  1. How might this data set be cited?
    Adamczyk, Katlin Bowman, Gartman, Amy, and Favela, Jaycee, 20260623, Abundance of abyssal ferromanganese nodules and ferromanganese coated rocks from the Samoa Basin (2026-604-FA): data release doi:10.5066/P149BW9Z, U.S. Geological Survey, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Santa Cruz, California.

    Online Links:

    This is part of the following larger work.

    Adamczyk, Katlin Bowman, Gartman, Amy, Favela, Jaycee, Mizell, Kira, Shapiro, Isabelle M., and Phan, Kha C., 2026, Abundance and geochemistry of abyssal ferromanganese nodules and ferromanganese coated rocks from the Samoa Basin (2026-604-FA): data release doi:10.5066/P149BW9Z, U.S. Geological Survey, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Santa Cruz, CA.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details:
    Suggested Citation: Adamczyk, K.B., Gartman, A., Favela, J., Mizell, K., Shapiro, I.M., and Phan, K.C., 2026, Abundance and geochemistry of abyssal ferromanganese nodules and ferromanganese coated rocks from the Samoa Basin (2026-604-FA): U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P149BW9Z.
  2. What geographic area does the data set cover?
    West_Bounding_Coordinate: -167.86053
    East_Bounding_Coordinate: -165.61942
    North_Bounding_Coordinate: -13.17100
    South_Bounding_Coordinate: -17.03570
  3. What does it look like?
  4. Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?
    Beginning_Date: 13-Apr-2026
    Ending_Date: 28-Apr-2026
    Currentness_Reference:
    ground condition at time data were collected
  5. What is the general form of this data set?
    Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: comma-delimited text
  6. How does the data set represent geographic features?
    1. How are geographic features stored in the data set?
      This is a Point data set. It contains the following vector data types (SDTS terminology):
      • Point (38)
    2. What coordinate system is used to represent geographic features?
      Horizontal positions are specified in geographic coordinates, that is, latitude and longitude. Latitudes are given to the nearest 0.00001. Longitudes are given to the nearest 0.00001. Latitude and longitude values are specified in Decimal degrees. The horizontal datum used is D_WGS_1984.
      The ellipsoid used is WGS_1984.
      The semi-major axis of the ellipsoid used is 6378137.0.
      The flattening of the ellipsoid used is 1/298.2572223563.
      Vertical_Coordinate_System_Definition:
      Depth_System_Definition:
      Depth_Datum_Name: local sea surface
      Depth_Resolution: 1
      Depth_Distance_Units: meters
      Depth_Encoding_Method: Attribute values
  7. How does the data set describe geographic features?
    2026-604-FA_NoduleAbundance.csv
    table containing box core sample ID, date and time on bottom, location and water depth, station, surface abundance and whole box abundance of ferromanganese nodules and ferromanganese coated rocks. (Source: Producer defined)
    Cruise_ID
    Lists the alphanumeric cruise identifier for the expedition during which the sample was collected (Source: Producer defined) 2026-604-FA is the cruise ID and a U.S. Geological Survey field activity number
    Core_ID
    The sample ID for each box core sample (Source: Producer defined) Unique sample identifier
    Node
    Lists the alphanumeric node near which the box core sample was collected. Node locations and names were determined as part of NOAA’s American Samoa Abyssal Mapping effort, OPR-T900-KR-26, and correspond to AUV focused grid surveys; they are given to facilitate referencing between co-located datasets. Mapping and seafloor image data from each node is included in the NOAA Seafloor Mapping and Imagery Data online database. (Source: Producer defined) Unique location identifier
    Date_On_Bottom
    Date that the box core made contact with the seafloor in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). (Source: producer defined)
    Range of values
    Minimum:4/13/2026
    Maximum:4/28/2026
    Units:Date in MM/DD/YYYY format
    Time_On_Bottom
    Time that the box core made contact with the seafloor in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) in 24-hour time format. (Source: producer defined)
    Range of values
    Minimum:0:16
    Maximum:23:13
    Units:Time in HH:MM format
    Surface_Abundance
    The abundance of ferromanganese nodules and/or ferromanganese coated rocks collected from the surface of the box core in units of kilograms per square meter. Values of -9999 indicate that no analysis was performed; this occurred when the box core did not recover a seafloor sample. Values of -8888 indicate that the measurement was below the detection limit of 0.5 kilograms. Values of 0.0 indicate that no ferromanganese nodules or ferromanganese coated rocks were present in the box core sample. (Source: producer defined)
    Range of values
    Minimum:0.0
    Maximum:18.5
    Units:kilograms per square meter
    Resolution:.1
    Whole_Box_Abundance
    The abundance of ferromanganese nodules and/or ferromanganese coated rocks collected from the whole box core in units of kilograms per square meter. This value includes the mass of buried ferromanganese nodules and/or ferromanganese coated rocks when present. Values of -9999 indicate that no analysis was performed; this occurred when the box core did not recover a seafloor sample. Values of -8888 indicate that the measurement was below the detection limit of 0.5 kilograms. Values of 0.0 indicate that no ferromanganese nodules or ferromanganese coated rocks were present on the surface of the box core. (Source: producer defined)
    Range of values
    Minimum:0.0
    Maximum:21.0
    Units:kilograms per square meter
    Resolution:.01
    Latitude_USBL
    Latitude of the box core at the listed date and time on bottom, determined by a USBL system. Values of -9999 indicate that data are not available. (Source: producer defined)
    Range of values
    Minimum:-17.035401
    Maximum:-13.170653
    Units:decimal degrees
    Resolution:.000001
    Longitude_USBL
    Longitude of the box core at the listed date and time on bottom, determined by a USBL system. Values of -9999 indicate that data are not available. (Source: producer defined)
    Range of values
    Minimum:-167.861665
    Maximum:-165.620218
    Units:decimal degrees
    Resolution:.000001
    Latitude_Ship
    Latitude of the surface vessel when the box core made contact with the seafloor. (Source: producer defined)
    Range of values
    Minimum:-17.03570
    Maximum:-13.17100
    Units:decimal degrees
    Resolution:.00001
    Longitude_Ship
    Longitude of the surface vessel when the box core made contact with the seafloor. (Source: producer defined)
    Range of values
    Minimum:-167.86053
    Maximum:-165.61942
    Units:decimal degrees
    Resolution:.00001
    Water_Depth
    Water depth where the box core sample was collected. This depth was determined using a CTD mounted to the box core frame. (Source: producer defined)
    Range of values
    Minimum:5184
    Maximum:5787
    Units:meters
    Resolution:1
    Entity_and_Attribute_Overview:
    This dataset contains one comma separated values (CSV) file describing box core sample information collected during USGS field activity 2026-604-FA (2026-604-FA_NoduleAbundance.csv). The first line of the csv file is a header line. Geochemical data are included in a separate part of this data release.
    Entity_and_Attribute_Detail_Citation: U.S. Geological Survey

Who produced the data set?

  1. Who are the originators of the data set? (may include formal authors, digital compilers, and editors)
    • Katlin Bowman Adamczyk
    • Amy Gartman
    • Jaycee Favela
  2. Who also contributed to the data set?
    The expedition 2026-604-FA was the third leg of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's American Samoa Abyssal Mapping effort, OPR-T900-KR-26. The USGS effort was supported in part by Interagency Agreement M20PG00028 between the USGS and the Bureau of Ocean and Energy Management.
  3. To whom should users address questions about the data?
    U.S. Geological Survey, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
    Attn: PCMSC Science Data Coordinator
    2885 Mission Street
    Santa Cruz, CA

    831-427-4747 (voice)

Why was the data set created?

These data serve to expand the knowledge and statistics for seabed mineral occurrences and composition within the global ocean. The expedition 2026-604-FA was the third leg of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's American Samoa Abyssal Mapping effort, OPR-T900-KR-26. The USGS effort was supported in part by Interagency Agreement M20PG00028 between the USGS and the Bureau of Ocean and Energy Management.

How was the data set created?

  1. From what previous works were the data drawn?
    NOAA Seafloor Mapping and Imagery Data (source 1 of 2)
    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 2026, NOAA Deep Sea Minerals.

    Online Links:

    Type_of_Source_Media: Google Cloud database
    Source_Contribution:
    Seafloor mapping (ship- and AUV-based) and AUV imagery used to inform box core sample locations
    Box Core Sample Photos (source 2 of 2)
    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 2026, 2026 American Samoa Mapping: NV5 Contract Work: Box Core Photos.

    Online Links:

    Type_of_Source_Media: online database
    Source_Contribution: Shipboard images of box core samples.
  2. How were the data generated, processed, and modified?
    Date: 28-Apr-2026 (process 1 of 7)
    38 box core samples were collected between April 13 and April 28, 2026, during USGS field activity 2026-604-FA. USGS directed the location of box core deployment. Seafloor mapping (ship- and AUV-based) and AUV imagery collected by NOAA in February-April 2026 were used to inform box core sample locations. External personnel working for organizations contracted through NOAA were responsible for deployment and recovery of an Ocean Instruments BX-750 Box Corer at each sample location; an AML Oceanographic CTD (conductivity temperature depth) and Kongsberg MiniS 37 -40V Ti transponder were mounted to the frame of the box core to determine the depth and location of each seafloor sample. Personnel contracted through NOAA collected USBL location data. USGS was responsible for all sample processing after the box core was recovered. Data sources used in this process:
    • NOAA Seafloor Mapping and Imagery Data
    Date: 28-Apr-2026 (process 2 of 7)
    Top water was removed from the box core using a peristaltic pump and tubing, then a photograph of the box core surface was captured. All box core sample photos are available online through NOAA at https://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/mineral-samples/2026-nv5-american-samoa/. Data sources used in this process:
    • Box Core Sample Photos
    Date: 28-Apr-2026 (process 3 of 7)
    Surface ferromanganese nodules and ferromanganese coated rocks were immediately removed from the box core after top water removal and box core surface photography, then transferred to a laboratory van. Ferromanganese nodules and ferromanganese coated rocks along the edges of the box core that appeared to have been pushed down by the spade were included in the surface mass. Excess sediment was removed by rinsing the nodules with filtered seawater. The wet mass of surface ferromanganese nodules and ferromanganese coated rocks was determined using a RoMech digital crane scale that was calibrated with NIST certified weights and had a lower detection limit of 0.5 kilograms.
    Date: 28-Apr-2026 (process 4 of 7)
    Buried ferromanganese nodules were recovered from four box cores (BX03, BX32, BX33, BX36) during subcoring (collection of push cores), push core processing, or by hand-searching the remaining sediment after subcores were removed. The sediment depth in these four box core samples ranged from 34-40 centimeters. Excess sediment was removed from buried nodules by rinsing with freshwater or filtered seawater. The wet mass of buried nodules was determined using a RoMech digital crane scale that was calibrated with NIST certified weights and had a lower detection limit of 0.5 kilograms. The wet mass of buried nodules was added to the wet mass of surface nodules to calculate the whole box mass of ferromanganese nodules and coated rocks.
    Date: 30-Apr-2026 (process 5 of 7)
    The surface abundance and whole box abundance were calculated by dividing the measured surface mass and whole box mass of each box core by the surface area of the box core sample (0.5625 square meters).
    Date: 27-May-2026 (process 6 of 7)
    The location of the box core on the seafloor was determined from the USBL location on bottom where available (BX38), from the deepest USBL location (BX06 and BX28) or by calculating the midpoint latitude and longitude of the deepest measured USBL coordinates from the up and down cast of each box core. Only downcast USBL data was available for BX06 and only upcast USBL data was available for BX28. Samples BX 01-05, 17, and 25 did not have functioning USBL data, indicated by -9999 in the data table. The water depth of each box core sample was determined by extracting the deepest measured depth value from the box core CTD data and correcting this depth for the mounted height of the CTD (2 meters from the base of the box core).
    Date: 27-May-2026 (process 7 of 7)
    Box core sample information (date and time on bottom, station name, sample location and depth) and surface and total abundance were combined into a comma-delimited text values document (2026-604-FA_NoduleAbundance.csv).
  3. What similar or related data should the user be aware of?

How reliable are the data; what problems remain in the data set?

  1. How well have the observations been checked?
    Calibration weights (0.200, 0.500, 1.000 kilograms) certified by the National Institute of Standards and Technology were used to calibrate the digital crane scale on at least a weekly basis.
  2. How accurate are the geographic locations?
    A Kongsberg Acoustic Positioning Operator Station (APOS) calibration was completed using the ship's GPS data and a fixed seabed transponder. The standard deviation of the transponder position was N1.26 meters and E1.34 meters.
  3. How accurate are the heights or depths?
    A Kongsberg Acoustic Positioning Operator Station (APOS) calibration was completed using the ship's GPS data and a fixed seabed transponder. The standard deviation of the transponder depth was 1.31 meters.
  4. Where are the gaps in the data? What is missing?
    Dataset is considered complete for the information presented, as described in the abstract. Users are advised to read the rest of the metadata record carefully for additional details.
  5. How consistent are the relationships among the observations, including topology?
    No formal logical accuracy tests were conducted.

How can someone get a copy of the data set?

Are there legal restrictions on access or use of the data?
Access_Constraints No access constraint
Use_Constraints USGS-authored or produced data and information are in the public domain from the U.S. Government and are freely redistributable with proper metadata and source attribution. These data are marked with a Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal License. Please recognize and acknowledge the U.S. Geological Survey as the originator of the dataset and in products derived from these data.
  1. Who distributes the data set? (Distributor 1 of 1)
    U.S. Geological Survey - ScienceBase
    Denver Federal Center, Building 810, Mail Stop 302
    Denver, CO

    1-888-275-8747 (voice)
  2. What's the catalog number I need to order this data set? These data are available in .csv format contained in a single file accompanied by CSDGM FGDC-compliant metadata.
  3. What legal disclaimers am I supposed to read?
    Unless otherwise stated, all data, metadata and related materials are considered to satisfy the quality standards relative to the purpose for which the data were collected. Although these data and associated metadata have been reviewed for accuracy and completeness and approved for release by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), no warranty expressed or implied is made regarding the display or utility of the data on any other system or for general or scientific purposes, nor shall the act of distribution constitute any such warranty.
  4. How can I download or order the data?
    • Availability in digital form:
      Data format: File contains table in .csv format in format comma-delimited text (version Microsoft Excel 15) Size: 0.00357
      Network links: https://doi.org/10.5066/P149BW9Z
    • Cost to order the data: None.

  5. What hardware or software do I need in order to use the data set?
    These data can be viewed with Microsoft Excel or any text reader.

Who wrote the metadata?

Dates:
Last modified: 23-Jun-2026
Metadata author:
U.S. Geological Survey, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
Attn: PCMSC Science Data Coordinator
2885 Mission Street
Santa Cruz, CA

831-427-4747 (voice)
Metadata standard:
Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata (FGDC-STD-001-1998)
This page is <https://cmgds.marine.usgs.gov/catalog/pcmsc/DataReleases/ScienceBase/DR_P149BW9Z/2026-604-FA_NoduleAbundance_Metadata.faq.html>
Generated by mp version 2.9.51 on Fri Jun 26 12:01:24 2026