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Spatial and Temporal Controls on the Formation of Phosphate Deposits - A Review

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Phosphate Minerals

Abstract

Phosphorus is present in most rocks in minor to trace quantities ranging from an average P2O5 content of 0.04% in sandstone to 0.4% in intermediate igneous rocks (McKelvey 1973). It is only in phosphate rock that the P2O5 content is high enough for it to constitute a phosphate ore, attaining values as high as 40% P2O5 1 in some rocks. The lower limit of what is designated a phosphate rock depends on the nature of the rock and the available technology but rocks with phosphate contents as low as 4% P2O5 may constitute a phosphate rock in some circumstances. Phosphate rock occurs in deposits ranging in size from a few tons to many billions of tons. The phosphate is almost invariably in the form of apatite — generally fluorapatite Ca5(PO4)3F, or carbonate fluorapatite which Altschuler (1973) represents by the approximate formula Ca10(PO4)6−x(CO3)x(F, OH)2+x. Less commonly it occurs as minerals such as crandallite (CaAl3(PO4)2(OH)5 • H2O), vivianite (Fe3(PO4)2 • 8H2O), brushite (CaHPO4 • 2H2O), and whitlockite (Ca3(PO4)2). Most of these and other similar minerals form as secondary weathering products (Altschuler 1973) and seldom constitute an economic-phosphate deposit in their own right. The weathering of phosphate deposits is not only scientifically interesting, it can also be economically important, for many deposits are markedly upgraded by weathering. In some cases the phosphate is remobilized by weathering, then reprecipitated to form a deposit of secondary phosphate or phoscrete. In other instances the upgrading of the deposits results from the leaching of more soluble components, especially carbonates, to leave a residual phosphate. However, this paper will not be concerned with the nature and distribution of these residual or weathered deposits to any extent but will focus on the primary deposits of which there are three main types — igneous, guano, and sedimentary. This paper will examine the spatial, and where possible the temporal distribution of these three types. The sedimentary deposits will be examined in greater detail, not only because of their complexity, wide distribution and great scientific importance, but also because they provide the majority of current world phosphate rock production and most of the world phosphate rock reserves.

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  1. Peter J. Cook

    Present address: Division of Continental Geology, Bureau of Mineral Resoures, Canberra, Australia

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  1. Research School of Earth Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia

    Peter J. Cook

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  1. National Water Research Institute, L7R 4A6, Burlington, Ontario, Canada

    Jerome O. Nriagu

  2. Department of Geophysical Science, University of Chicago, 60637, Chicago, Illinois, USA

    Paul B. Moore

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Cook, P.J. (1984). Spatial and Temporal Controls on the Formation of Phosphate Deposits - A Review. In: Nriagu, J.O., Moore, P.B. (eds) Phosphate Minerals. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-61736-2_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-61736-2_7

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

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