PORTASPEC shipboard determined chemical composition of ferromanganese crusts for L9-84-CP expedition (R/V S.P. Lee)

Mobile laboratories are important to the exploration geochemist because they offer rapid chemical analyses of geologic materials in the field. This permits modification of the sampling plan in response to significant findings, rather than following a planned sampling scheme and leaving any follow-up to a later time. The portable PORTASPEC X-ray spectrograph (Pitchford Scientific instruments Division of Hankison Corporation) Model 2501 was used on ferromanganese crusts during the L9-84-CP (R/V S.P. Lee) expedition by the United States Geological Survey. The composition in major elements was averaged over a collection of samples for each station.