Mn nodules and ferromanganese crusts from the Pacific ocean were retrieved during expeditions of the R/V Vytiaz and analysed for their chemical composition. Cadmium contents were determined by atomic absorption spectrometry with non-flame atomization and calibrated by means of rock standards from the U.S. Geological Survey BCR-1, G-2, GSP-1 and AGV-1. The Fe and Mn in these samples were also determined by classical wet chemical analysis.

From 1983 until 1989 NOAA-NCEI compiled the NOAA-MMS Marine Minerals Geochemical Database from journal articles, technical reports and unpublished sources from other institutions. At the time it was the most extended data compilation on ferromanganese deposits world wide. Initially published in a proprietary format incompatible with present day standards it was jointly decided by AWI and NOAA to transcribe this legacy data into PANGAEA. This transfer is augmented by a careful checking of the original sources when available and the encoding of ancillary information (sample description, method of analysis...) not present in the NOAA-MMS database.This dataset represents the digitized Table 2 of the related publication.