Abstract
Carbonate–fluorapatite, the major component of marine phosphorite, forms within organic-rich diatomaceous sediments in present day conditions along the continental margin of Peru–Chile and South-West Africa (Namibia)1–4. Both of these areas are ‘West-Coast’ phosphogenic provinces5,6, characterized by an eastern boundary current, with strong coastal upwelling and associated high organic productivity. We report here the first radiometric evidence supporting Holocene apatite formation in an ‘East-Coast’ phosphogenic province, the East Australian continental margin, an area of only moderate seasonal upwelling7,8.
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O'Brien, G., Veeh, H. Holocene phosphorite on the East Australian continental margin. Nature 288, 690–692 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1038/288690a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/288690a0
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