Petrographic and Geochemical Analysis of Upper Cretaceous Phosphorites in Şemikan, Turkey and Gusmari, Albania: Insights into Depositional Environments and Palaeoceanographic Conditions

The Tethyan Phosphogenic Province is one of the widest of its kind, representing an outstanding period of phosphate deposition principally in the Upper Cretaceous-Eocene period. The main aim of this study is to compare the Turkish phosphorites occurring along the southern side of the Neo Tethyan Ocean due to suitable seawater temperature and upwelling oceanic currents with Albanian phosphorites were deposited in higher latitudes and colder climates, in the same ocean. The Şemikan (Türkiye) phosphorites consist mainly of cream-coloured (CCP) and locally reddish phosphorites (RP) occurring as lenses or concordant blankets within high-grade cream phosphorites. Based on microscopic examination, cream-coloured phosphorites consist of phosphatic pellets, intraclasts, bioclasts (fossilized shark teeth, ostracods etc.) and nonphosphatic components, with texture changing from wackestone to packstone, testifying shallow marine depositional environment. Whereas, Gusmari (Albania) phosphorites consist of laminated phosphorites (LP), of mudstone/wackestone texture, with planktonic foraminifera Globotruncanidae, where the phosphate is sedimentary, and alternating laminae of phosphate and pelagic carbonate. Besides this, under SEM-EDS, 5µm crystals of the major ore of uranium, UO₂, were evidenced for the first time in LP. The mineralogical analyses showed that the CCP consisted of carbonate-rich fluorapatite, minor calcite and quartz. The RP consisted predominantly of carbonate-rich fluorapatite, hydroxyapatite, montmorillonite, and minor quartz. The LP consisted predominantly of calcite, carbonate-rich fluorapatite, hydroxyapatite, and traces of quartz. The mean P₂O₅ content of the CCP is 29%, RP and LP 14%, which is lower than that of other well-known global phosphorite deposits. The CaO content of the CCP, RP and LP ore is also higher than that of other global deposits because of a calcite matrix between phosphorite pellets. Based on preliminary results of trace elements CCP, RP and LP show a general trace element scarcity compared to the trace element averages of the world’s average phosphorites. The main reason for this deficiency is the rapid sedimentation or high burial rate in the sedimentary basin, which prevents the replacement of carbonate-rich fluorapatite by trace elements.