Phosphate in sediments off South-western Africa

RECENT work1 has shown that the unconsolidated sediments of the continental shelf off south-western Africa are considerably enriched in phosphate compared with the values considered usual for clastic sediments (< 0.2% P2O5), and it is interesting that phosphorite still appears to be forming on a significant scale in the diatomaceous muds off south-west Africa2,3. This may be the first well documented occurrence of modern phosphorite formation. © 1973 Nature Publishing Group.