Abstract
Phosphate rocks are a vital resource for world food supply and security. They are the primary raw material for phosphoric acid and fertilizers used in agriculture, and are increasingly considered to be a potential source of rare earth elements. Phosphate rocks occur either as sedimentary deposits or igneous ores associated with alkaline rocks. In both cases, the genesis of high-grade phosphate rocks results from complex concentration mechanisms involving several (bio)geochemical processes. Some of these ore-forming processes remain poorly understood and subject to scientific debate. Morocco holds the world’s largest deposits of sedimentary phosphate rocks, and also possesses several alkaline complexes with the potential to bear igneous phosphate ores that are still largely underexplored. This paper summarizes the main geological features and driving processes of sedimentary and igneous phosphates, and discusses their global reserve/resource situation. It also provides a comprehensive review of the published data and information on Moroccan sedimentary and igneous phosphates. It reveals significant knowledge gaps and a lack of data, inter alia, regarding the geochemistry of phosphates and basin-scale correlations. Owing to the unique situation of Moroccan phosphates on the global market, they clearly deserve more thorough studies that may, in turn, help to constrain future resources and/or reserves, and answer outstanding questions on the genesis of phosphates.
Highlights
Morocco has several alkaline and carbonatite complexes that remain underexplored in terms of their potential for igneous phosphate resources
The carbonatites from southern Morocco are still the most suitable areas in terms of igneous phosphate resources and related rare earth elements (REE). Phosphate rocks of both sedimentary and igneous origin began to form on Earth since the Paleoproterozoic in a myriad of geological environments, and they were preserved in a large number of locations in the world
The largest phosphate resources are located in Morocco
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. The link between the phosphorus cycle and the other biogeochemical cycles (e.g., C and N) assigns the formation of phosphate rocks (phosphogenesis) an important role in the Earth’s climate regulation, as well as the regulation of nitrogen and levels of atmospheric oxygen over geological timescales [13,14,15] In this way, several models have been proposed to explain phosphogenesis and its seemingly discontinuous character over time [13]. The questions of how they were formed and how they have evolved over time have both a scientific and an international heritage value Through their importance on the spatial and temporal levels, Moroccan phosphates could deliver crucial information on the paleoceanographic and paleoclimatic controls of the temporal and geographic distribution of phosphorites. Moroccan phosphates will be positioned in the context of regional and international research on phosphate rocks
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