Talk:Phosphorite

Add global stats?
Here are some stats. I don't know if/where appropriate to add. Do with them as you will.

https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2022/mcs2022-phosphate.pdf

Mousecalledgerald (talk) 01:48, 4 July 2023 (UTC)

picture -- guano mining vs phosphorite mining
Perhaps the accompanying picture (of guano mining in the Chincha Islands)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:DSCN5766-guano-glantz_crop_b.jpg

should be replaced by one depicting phosphorite mining. As far as I understand, phosphorite rock deposits such as those on Nauru Island are chemically and mineralogically distinct from Chincha Islands guano, which was derived from bird droppings.CharlesHBennett (talk) 04:52, 2 November 2011 (UTC)

Please check revision of start
The start read: "The phosphate content of phosphorite is at least 15 to 20%; if it is assumed that the phosphate minerals in phosphorite are hydroxyapatite and fluoroapatite, phosphate minerals contain roughly 18.5% phosphorus by weight and if phosphorite contains around 20% of these minerals, phosphorite is roughly 3.7% phosphorus by weight, which is a considerable enrichment over the typical sedimentary rock content of less than 0.2%.". The sentence is convoluted and I am not sure of the facts. It is unclear where the number 15-20% is sourced from and whether "phosphate mass" refers to P2O5 content or to the mass of phosphate minerals, as assumed in the speculation.

I replaced this by: The phosphate content of phosphorite (or grade of phosphate rock) varies strongly, from 4% to 20% phosphorus pentoxide (P2O5). Marketed phosphate rock is enriched ("beneficiated") to at least 28%, often more than 30% P2O5. This occurs through washing, screening, de-liming, magnetic separation or flotation.

--Gregor Hagedorn (talk) 18:11, 31 March 2017 (UTC)

Not a mineral
This is not a mineral, as is suggested by the Category added. Eudialytos (talk) 12:33, 18 June 2017 (UTC)

origin of phosphate rock?
I just saw a new (and uncited) theory for the origin of sub-commercial Phosphate deposits in California's Monterey shale. Those authors assign the source to the Columbia River flood basalts, which are the right age (17-15 my), and go on to say that "most of the world's mineable phosphate deps were deposited during times of major flood-basalt eruptions. Source: p. 222, Roadside Geology of Northern & Central Calif, ISBN 9780878424092

Comments, anyone? --Pete Tillman (talk) 20:11, 12 January 2019 (UTC)


 * I think the book you mention dates from 2006? I came across a 2015 article postulating a link between LIP flood basalts and phosphate deposits during in Neoproterozoic in Horton, F. (2015) Did phosphorus derived from the weathering of large igneous provinces fertilize the Neoproterozoic ocean?, Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, volume 16, pages 1723-1738. GeoWriter (talk) 13:29, 13 January 2019 (UTC)

Clarification needed
Hi there. I wanted to move some text & references here (to "uses") from Sustainable agriculture (see talk), but I am already confused. The first reference used in this article, the FAO, distinguishes between "phosphate ore" and partially refined "phosphate rock", but this article uses the terms largely interchangeably. Is this distinction in terminology accurate or not? Leo Breman (talk) 21:56, 11 October 2019 (UTC)

Problematic editing
I noticed this replacement of cited works was done by a user who is likely the author of the paper used to replace them. I can't speak to their accuracy, but wanted to point this out to the followers of this talk page so the changes can be vetted. [] TimTempleton (talk) (cont)  18:05, 17 October 2019 (UTC)


 * Wow! Good catch! I guess I'm the one following this page, if only to check if I´d got an answer to the above. As the guy didn't actually change any of the prose, ergo, logically, his works are not those used to construct the text and are therefore spurious citations. Also his edit summaries do not give ample explanation for why his works should be promoted. So I will revert this sneaky guy. Leo Breman (talk) 11:41, 19 October 2019 (UTC)

Clarification needed on how phosphorites form at continental shelves
Came here to understand how phosphorites form at the continental margin. Didn't look like it was in the lead, but was able to beeline to the "Phosphorite" section. But the body doesn't make sense. Can someone please clarify?

"Continental margin phosphorites: Convergent, passive, upwelling, non-upwelling. This environment accumulates phosphorites in the form of hardgrounds, nodules and granular beds. These accumulate by carbonate fluorapatite precipitation during early diagenesis in the upper few tens of centimeters of sediment. There are two different environmental conditions in which phosphorites are produced within continental margins. Continental margins can consist of organic rich sedimentation, strong coastal upwelling, and pronounced low oxygen zones. They can also form in conditions such as oxygen rich bottom waters and organic poor sediments."

Cheers, ——an entry-level geology student 132.241.211.81 (talk) 23:47, 2 November 2021 (UTC)

I should specify how it doesn't make sense. If I understand right, it says there are two different environmental conditions, then lists one of them, then it brings up another formation condition. Can we make this two-item list the same class of item? Or re-write entirely——132.241.211.81 (talk) 23:52, 2 November 2021 (UTC)