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Depositional environment of phosphorites in a semiarid climate region, case of El Kouif area (Algerian–Tunisian border)

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Abstract

As the largest country in Africa, Algeria is rich in substantial mineral reserves. This mineral potential continues to be revealed day by day; but unfortunately, they are generally underutilized. The detailed mechanisms of marine sedimentary phosphates origin are still imperfectly known. Our study aims to reconstitute the depositional environment of phosphorites of El Kouif locality NE of Algeria. Our method used an extensive sequential analysis, Microscopic Petrography, X-ray diffractometry, and geochemical analysis. Cross-sections carried out on the outcrops of the El Kouif city, have shown a sub-tabular formation containing almost eight layers of phosphorites. The sequential analysis revealed that the phosphatic series have taken place in a reduced negative mega-sequence. Petrographic observations have shown phosphatic intraclasts bearer of the organic matter at various rates. XRD of whole-rock powder has confirmed the presence of apatite minerals, carbonates quartz, clays, sulfides, and gypsum. The geochemical trend has indicated a high fluctuating content of P2O5. The dispersion pattern, correlation coefficient, and mutual relationship of significant major oxides, represented by plotted diagrams; showed that SiO2, CO2, MgO, are antipathetically related to P2O5. The geochemical behavior between P2O5 contents and of CaO, H2O, Na2O, SO3 contents have shown a positive relationship. The richness of the phosphatic rocks in Apatite is autonomous of the depth in the Tebessa basin. The results of the chemical analysis from purified grains were used to calculate the structural formulas for apatite. This non-stoichiometric apatite presented significant anionic substitutions affecting up to 24% of the sites. The higher values of CO2 have obviously resulted in the richness of organic substance, the notable presence of sulfides minerals, indicated through the high concentration of SO3, and the lower concentration of Na suggested that the reducing conditions of the basin were prevailing at the time of phosphatic formation in a shallow marine environment.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Mrs. Selmania and Bedhmaoui, for helping with fieldwork. We are grateful for the help received from Hemaidia in his technical assistance in the laboratory of the Department of Earth Sciences and the Universe, Tebessa University. We warmly thank the head of the analysis laboratory, Somiphos Company. Finally, the facilities of Mr. Bouhlal the responsible for the mineralogy laboratory, Tunis University is also much appreciated.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Earth Sciences and the Universe, Larbi Tebessi University, 12002, Tebessa, Algeria

    Salim Boulemia & Messaoud Hamimed

  2. Laboratory of Sedimentary Environment and Hydric and Minerals Resources, Larbi Tebessi University, 12002, Tebessa, Algeria

    Salim Boulemia & Messaoud Hamimed

  3. Department of Earth Sciences, Institute of Architecture and Earth Sciences, Ferhat Abbas University, 19137, Setif, Algeria

    Riheb Hadji

  4. Laboratory of Applied Research in Engineering Geology, Geotechnics, Water Sciences, and Environment, Ferhat Abbas University, 19137, Setif, Algeria

    Riheb Hadji

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  1. Salim Boulemia
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Correspondence to Salim Boulemia.

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Boulemia, S., Hadji, R. & Hamimed, M. Depositional environment of phosphorites in a semiarid climate region, case of El Kouif area (Algerian–Tunisian border). Carbonates Evaporites 36, 53 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13146-021-00719-4

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