Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Pleistocene phosphorites off the west coast of South Africa

Nature volume 302, pages 601–603 (1983)Cite this article

Abstract

We report here relatively modern phosphogenesis on the continental margin off South Africa, where palaeontologically old limestone (middle Eocene–middle Miocene) has been phosphatized in late Pleistocene times (62–76 kyr) in an area of only moderate and seasonal present-day upwelling1,2. Previously, modern phosphogenesis had been reported as occurring only off Namibia3–15, Peru/Chile16–21 and very recently, east Australia22,23. This report, and those describing the late Quaternary east Australia phosphorite22,23, suggest that, contrary to established opinion, strongly enhanced upwelling may not be necessary for phosphorite formation and that oceanic phos-phogenic models need not be based exclusively on localized oceanographie regimes such as exist off Peru and Namibia.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. De Decker, A. H. B. Invest Rept. Div. Fish. S. Afr. 84, 1–24 (1970).

    Google Scholar 

  2. Hart, T. J. & Curray, R. I. Discovery Rep. 31, 123–298 (1960).

    Google Scholar 

  3. Baturin, G. N. Dokl. Earth sci. Sect. 189, 227–230 (1969).

    Google Scholar 

  4. Senin Yu, M. Lithol. Miner. Res. 1, 8–20 (1970).

    Google Scholar 

  5. Baturin, G. N., Kochenov, A. V. & Petelin, V. P. Lithol. Miner. Res. 3, 266–276 (1970).

    Google Scholar 

  6. Baturin, G. N. Nature Phys. Sci. 232, 61–62 (1971).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Baturin, G. N. Oceanology 11, 372–376 (1971).

    Google Scholar 

  8. Baturin, G. N. Inst. Geol. Sci. Rep. 70/16, 88–97 (1971).

    Google Scholar 

  9. Baturin, G. N., Markulova, K. L. & Chalov, P. I. Mar. Geol. 13, M37–41 (1972).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Baturin, G. N. Oceanology 14, 856–860 (1974).

    Google Scholar 

  11. Baturin, G. N., Merkulova, K. I. & Chalov, P. I. Geochem. Int. 11, 568–574 (1974).

    Google Scholar 

  12. Veeh, H. H., Calvert, S. E. & Price, N. B. Mar. Chem. 2, 189–202 (1974).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Bremner, J. M. thesis, Univ. Cape Town (1977).

  14. Price, N. B. & Calvert, S. E. Mar. Geol. 23, 151–170 (1978).

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Bremner, J. M. J. geol. Soc. 137, 773–786 (1980).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Veeh, H. H., Burnett, W. C. & Soutar, A. Science 181, 844–845 (1973).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Manheim, F., Rowe, G. T. & Jipa, D. J. sedim. Petrol. 45, 243–251 (1975).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Burnett, W. C. Bull. geol. Soc. Am. 88, 813–823 (1977).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Burnett, W. C. & Veeh, H. H. Geochim. cosmochim Acta 41, 755–764 (1977).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Baturin, G. N., Bliskovskiy, V. Z. & Lisitsyn, A. P. Oceanology 15, 331–333 (1975).

    Google Scholar 

  21. Burnett, W. C., Veeh, H. H. & Soutar, A. Soc. Econ. Paleontol. Miner. Spec. Publ. 29, 61–71 (1980).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. O'Brien, G. W. & Veeh, H. H. Nature 288, 690–692 (1980).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. O'Brien, G. W., Harris, J. R., Milnes, A. R. & Veeh, H. H. Nature 294, 442–444 (1981).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Parker, R. J. Bull. SANCOR Mar. Geol. Prog. 2, Dept. Geology, Univ. Cape Town (1971).

  25. Parker, R. J. & Siesser, W. G. J. sedim. Petrol. 42, 434–440 (1972).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Parker, R. J. J. sedim. Petrol. 45, 230–242 (1975).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Dingle, R. V. Trans. geol. Soc. S. Afr. 77, 261–264 (1975).

    Google Scholar 

  28. Birch, G. F. J. sedim. Petrol. 49, 93–110 (1979).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Bremner, J. M. Mar. Geol. 34, M67–M76 (1980).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Calvert, S. E. & Price, N. B. Inst. geol. Sci. Rep. 70/16, 175–185 (1981).

    Google Scholar 

  31. Haughton, S. H. Ann. S. Afr. Mus. 42, 329–334 (1956).

    Google Scholar 

  32. Siesser, W. G. Sedim. Geol. 8, 83–112 (1972).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Siesser, W. G. Mar. Geol. 26, M17–M28 (1978).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Siesser, W. G. Mar. Geol. Prog. Tech. Rep. 9, Univ. Cape Town, 108–118 (1977).

    Google Scholar 

  35. Kolodny, Y. & Kaplan, I. R. Geochim. cosmochim. Acta 34, 3–14 (1970).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Birch, G. F. Mar. Geol. 33, 91–116 (1979).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Thomson, J. Analyt. Chim. Acta 142, 259–268 (1982).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Mangini, A. & Sonntag, C. Earth planet. Sci. Lett. 37, 251–256 (1977).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. De Master, D. J. thesis, Yale Univ. (1979).

  40. Roe, K. K., Burnett, W. C., Kim, K. H. & Beers, M. J. Earth planet. Sci. Lett. 60, 39–46 (1982).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. Veeh, H. H. Earth planet. Sci. Lett. 57, 278–284 (1982).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  42. Burnett, W. C., Beers, M. J. & Roe, K. K. Science 215, 1616–1619 (1982).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. Hudson, J. J. geol. Soc. 133, 637–660 (1977).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  44. McArthur, J. M., Coleman, M. L. & Bremner, M. J. J. geol. Soc. 137, 669–673 (1980).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  45. Benmore, R. A., McArthur, J. M. & Coleman, M. L. Proc. 4th int. Workshop Seminar Phosphate India (in the press).

  46. McArthur, J. M. Chem. Geol. 21, 89–112 (1978).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  47. Lucas, J. SEPM Spec. Publ. 29, 41–51 (1980).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  48. Tambiyev, S. B. Oceanolography 19, 171–175 (1979).

    Google Scholar 

  49. Bloom, A. L. et al. Quat. Res. 4, 185–205.

  50. Gulbrandsen, R. A. U.S. geol. Surv. Prof. Paper 700 -B, 9–13 (1970).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Marine Geoscience, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7700, Cape Town, South Africa

    G. F. Birch

  2. Institute of Oceanographie Sciences, Godalming, Wormley, Surrey, GU8 5UB, UK

    J. Thomson

  3. Department of Geology, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK

    J. M. McArthur

  4. Department of Oceanography, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, 32306, USA

    W. C. Burnett

Authors
  1. G. F. Birch
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. J. Thomson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. J. M. McArthur
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. W. C. Burnett
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Birch, G., Thomson, J., McArthur, J. et al. Pleistocene phosphorites off the west coast of South Africa. Nature 302, 601–603 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1038/302601a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/302601a0

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing