MINERAL COMPOSITION OF THE DEEP SEA SEDIMENTS IN THREE SECTORS OF WESTERN PACIFIC OCEAN

During the International expedition of the research vessel Dmitry Mendeleyev three sectors of the Western Pacific Ocean were studied: Philippine Sea, Solomon Sea and Coral Sea. From these areas also the samples for the orientation were taken in order to do the mineralogical examination with them. Above all, X-ray diffraction technique was used beside the chemical analysis performed by electron microprobe analyzer. Quantitative evaluation of mineral components was carried out applying X-ray diffraction. Standardless technique based on the adiabatic principle enabled the quantitative determination directly from the X-ray diffraction diagram. Generally, sheet silicates - above all smectite, chlorite, mica (illite) - play the leading role in the mineral composition of collected samples of muds taken from the ocean floor. Besides, also minerals of terrigenous origin are present: quartz prevailing mostly over feldspars (plagioclase > K-feldspar). Amphiboles and pyroxenes occured, but not everywhere. Carbonate minerals (calcite >> aragonite) were found only in samples from Coral Sea.