REEs in the North Africa P-Bearing Deposits, Paleoenvironments, and Economic Perspectives: A Review

A review of the compositional features Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco phosphorites is proposed in order to assess compare paleoenvironmental conditions that promoted deposit formation as well provide information about their economic perspective light growing worldwide demand. Since these deposits share a very similar chemical mineralogical composition, attention was focused on geochemistry rare earth elements (REEs) mostly ?REEs, Ce Eu anomalies, (La/Yb) (La/Gd) normalized ratios. The REEs distributions reveal several differences between from different locations, suggesting Tunisian Algerian probably were part same depositional system. There, sub-reducing sub-oxic major adsorption by early diagenesis recorded. Conversely, Moroccan basins, oxic environments minor diagenetic alteration occurred, which likely due seawater supply. Moreover, drastic environmental changes associated Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum event influenced composition Northern African accumulated highest amounts during span time. Based concentrations, considering outlook coefficient REE (Koutl) percentage critical ?REEs (REEdef), studied can be considered promising highly ores could represent profitable alternative source for REEs.