Distribution of iron, manganese and titanium in sediments of deep sea drilling project site 220 in the south-eastern Arabian sea

Abstract

Sediments of lithologic Unit I are characterized by relatively higher concentration of iron and titanium than the sediments of Units II, III and IV. Sediments of Unit IV and lower half of Unit III are characterized by higher concentrations of manganese than the sediments from the rest of the sedimentary column. All the 3 elements are largely fixed in sediments in a solid state. However, they seem to have entered the site through different paths in that iron and titanium appear to be more associated with the clay minerals of detrital origin white manganese is to a large extent associated with the volcanic material which the site received intermittently. Distribution patterns observed are in conformity with the depositional history of the site.