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What minerals occur in sediments beneath the Red Sea’s deep brine pools?

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Red Sea
Red Sea Map showing the Red Sea and the countries surrounding it. The Red Sea is one of the most heavily traveled waterways in the world. It is about 1,200 miles (1,930 km) long, and its maximum width is about 190 miles (305 km).

The sediments located beneath the Red Sea’s deep brine pools, such as those found in the Atlantis II Deep, are characterized by unique deposits of heavy-metal-rich fluid oozes.12

These metalliferous sediments contain significant concentrations of various metals. Analysis of the deposits in the Atlantis II Deep has revealed the following composition:

  • Iron: 29 percent1
  • Zinc: 3.4 percent1
  • Copper: 1.3 percent1
  • Trace quantities: Lead, silver, and gold1

These deposits, which consist of heavy metal oxides, typically extend to depths of 30 to 60 feet below the sediment surface. While other deeps, such as the Discovery Deep, also contain sediments with significant metalliferous content, their concentrations are generally lower than those found in the Atlantis II Deep. These materials are distinct from the evaporite deposits—such as halite, gypsum, and dolomite—found elsewhere in the Red Sea region.213