Life Cycle of the Phosphoria Formation, Volume 8: From Deposition to the Post-Mining Environment (Handbook of Exploration and Environmental Geochemistry)

Geological, geoenvironmental, and resource studies were completed to study a world-class phosphate ore in the Western US Phosphate Field. This integrated, multi-agency, multidisciplinary research emphasized: (1) Geological and geochemical baseline characterization of the deposit and associated rocks, (2) Delineation, assessment, and spatial analysis of phosphate resources and lands disturbed by mining, (3) Contaminant residence, reaction pathways, and environmental fate associated with the occurrence, development, and use of phosphate rock, and (4) Depositional origin and evolution of the Phosphoria Formation and deposit and geoenvironmental modeling. Front Cover......Page 1 Life Cycle of the Phosphoria Formation: From Deposition to the Post-Mining Environment......Page 4 Copyright Page......Page 5 CONTENTS......Page 16 Preface......Page 6 List of Contributors......Page 9 PART I: INTRODUCTION......Page 28 Geology, plate tectonics, paleogeography......Page 30 Climate......Page 33 Oceanography......Page 34 Western North American margin and the Phosphoria sea......Page 37 End of Permian......Page 39 Abstract......Page 46 Introduction......Page 47 Delineation of western phosphate lands: Pre- 1940s......Page 48 Geochemical exploration, P, U, and V: The 1940s-1950s......Page 51 Depositional environments and transgressive-regressive cycles: The 1960s–1970s......Page 54 Paleogeography, phosphogenesis, and sequence stratigraphy: 1980–2002......Page 57 Outstanding issues......Page 63 PART II: REGIONAL STUDIES......Page 70 Introduction......Page 72 Early scientific surveys......Page 75 Laws associated with US phosphate exploration and mining......Page 76 Idaho......Page 79 Utah......Page 82 Wyoming......Page 85 Mining in the Western Phosphate Field in the twenty-first century......Page 86 Abstract......Page 100 Introduction......Page 101 Methods and data evaluation......Page 104 Temporal variations in terrigenous elements......Page 107 Temporal variations in marine elements......Page 117 Spatial variations in marine elements......Page 126 Conclusions......Page 130 Abstract......Page 138 Introduction......Page 139 Background and previous studies......Page 141 Methods......Page 144 Results......Page 146 Central belt mixed choristid demosponge–hexactinellid sponge assemblages associated with (ruzhencevispongacid) radiolarians......Page 151 Angayucham terrane and Northern Brooks Range......Page 18 Discussion and conclusions......Page 153 Introduction......Page 164 Depth of burial......Page 167 Thermal history......Page 168 Structure......Page 170 Conclusions......Page 188 PART III: GEOLOGICAL AND GEOCHEMICAL STUDIES IN SOUTHEAST IDAHO......Page 194 Introduction......Page 196 Carbonate fluorapatite......Page 198 Methods......Page 199 Results......Page 201 Discussion......Page 207 Conclusions......Page 212 Abstract......Page 216 Introduction......Page 217 Geologic setting and history......Page 219 Approach and methodology......Page 220 Results and discussion......Page 224 Conceptual model......Page 245 Introduction......Page 254 Sample collection and description......Page 255 Analytical methods......Page 257 Results and Discussion......Page 260 Conclusions......Page 273 Abstract......Page 278 Methods......Page 279 Results......Page 287 Discussion......Page 314 Conclusions......Page 318 PART IV: GEOENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES......Page 324 Abstract......Page 326 Methods and sources of data......Page 327 Conceptual model......Page 329 Idaho case-study......Page 335 Global occurrence of phosphorites and petroleum......Page 340 Conclusions......Page 342 Abstract......Page 348 Introduction......Page 349 Methods......Page 354 Results......Page 356 Weathering and other alteration......Page 370 Other Geoenvironmentally significant trace elements......Page 385 Alteration model......Page 386 Conclusions......Page 390 Abstract......Page 394 Introduction......Page 395 Methods......Page 397 Results......Page 399 Discussion......Page 400 Conclusions......Page 423 Abstract......Page 426 Introduction......Page 427 Previous studies......Page 428 Methods......Page 429 Results......Page 433 Discussion and conclusions: Environmentally sensitive elements......Page 451 Introduction......Page 454 Study design......Page 455 Sample collection and analysis......Page 457 Results and discussion......Page 459 Conclusions......Page 460 Abstract......Page 464 Introduction......Page 465 Site location and description......Page 468 Methods......Page 471 Results......Page 473 Regional selenium reservoir......Page 484 Conclusions......Page 488 Abstract......Page 494 Introduction......Page 495 Methods......Page 496 Results......Page 500 Discussion......Page 501 Conclusions......Page 507 Introduction......Page 510 Methods and materials......Page 511 Results and discussion......Page 517 Hazard assessment......Page 542 Abstract......Page 554 Introduction......Page 555 Methods......Page 558 Results and discussion......Page 561 Conclusions......Page 578 PART V: MODELING STUDIES......Page 584 Data......Page 586 Sedimentary phosphate deposits......Page 589 Formation and distribution of deposits......Page 592 Conclusions......Page 598 Abstract......Page 602 Hydrography of the Phosphoria sea – a depositional model......Page 603 Character and controls of phosphate resources – an economic model......Page 613 Conclusions......Page 620 Introduction......Page 626 Utilization and societal relevance of phosphate......Page 627 Mining methods......Page 629 Processed products......Page 631 End products......Page 634 Material flow in the environment......Page 635 Appendix CD: Table of world sedimentary phosphate deposits (with appendices for chapters 12, 13, 18, and 19)......Page 638 Author Index......Page 640 Subject Index......Page 648 "This book provides the results of a multifaceted, multidisciplinary, multi-agency program headed by the US Geological Survey to study to 350,000 square kilometer Western US Phosphate Field. The program addresses mainly the Permian Phosphoria Formation (the world's largest phosphate deposit), including the nature of the Phosphoria sea, resource-reserve estimates, mineralogical-geochemical-tectonic evolution of the deposit, and present-day contaminant issues associated with release of selenium from waste-rock dumps produced during mining. This latter issue involves surface and ground water, soil, biota, and rock studies. The Phosphoria Formation occurs over extensive regions of Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, and Utah, where there are five operating mines that collectively produce about 15% of the US production of phosphate. Vanadium was also mined up until 1999 from the Phosphoria and the deposit was considered at one time as a potential source for uranium. The Phosphoria Formation is a world-class deposit and knowledge grained from these studies can be applied to many other deposits world-wide. This book will be of interest to environmental geologists and biologists, economic geologists, mineralogists, sedimentologists, oceanographers, geochemists, among others from industry, Federal-State-local governmental agencies, and academia"--Back cover The Permian (about 290-250 Ma) was a time of immense global change and unique paleogeographic configurations.