1. Mineral Resources
2. Online Spatial Data

World phosphate mines, deposits, and occurrences

Frequently anticipated questions:

• What does this data set describe?
  1. How might this data set be cited?
  2. What geographic area does the data set cover?
  3. What does it look like?
  4. Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?
  5. What is the general form of this data set?
  6. How does the data set represent geographic features?
  7. How does the data set describe geographic features?
• Who produced the data set?
  1. Who are the originators of the data set?
  2. Who also contributed to the data set?
  3. To whom should users address questions about the data?
• Why was the data set created?
• How was the data set created?
  1. From what previous works were the data drawn?
  2. How were the data generated, processed, and modified?
  3. What similar or related data should the user be aware of?
• How reliable are the data; what problems remain in the data set?
  1. How well have the observations been checked?
  2. How accurate are the geographic locations?
  3. How accurate are the heights or depths?
  4. Where are the gaps in the data? What is missing?
  5. How consistent are the relationships among the data, including topology?
• How can someone get a copy of the data set?
  1. Are there legal restrictions on access or use of the data?
  2. Who distributes the data?
  3. What's the catalog number I need to order this data set?
  4. What legal disclaimers am I supposed to read?
  5. How can I download or order the data?
• Who wrote the metadata?

What does this data set describe?

1. How might this data set be cited?
   Chernoff, Carlotta B., and Orris, Greta. J., 2002, World phosphate mines, deposits, and occurrences: Open-File Report 2002-156, U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, California.

   Online Links:

   • https://doi.org/ofr02156
   • https://mrdata.usgs.gov/phosphate/

2. What geographic area does the data set cover?

   West_Bounding_Coordinate: -178.81667
   East_Bounding_Coordinate: 177.3
   North_Bounding_Coordinate: 69.45
   South_Bounding_Coordinate: -50.3333
   

3. What does it look like?

   https://mrdata.usgs.gov/phosphate/ofr-2002-156.png (PNG)

   Small-scale map showing site locations, 540 x 180 pixels

4. Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?

   Calendar_Date: 2002

   Currentness_Reference:

   Original publication date

5. What is the general form of this data set?

6. How does the data set represent geographic features?
   1. How are geographic features stored in the data set?
      This is a Point data set. It contains the following vector data types (SDTS terminology):
      • Entity point (1187)
   2. What coordinate system is used to represent geographic features?
      Horizontal positions are specified in geographic coordinates, that is, latitude and longitude. Latitudes are given to the nearest 0.0001. Longitudes are given to the nearest 0.0001. Latitude and longitude values are specified in decimal degrees. The horizontal datum used is World Geodetic System 1984.
      The ellipsoid used is WGS 84.
      The semi-major axis of the ellipsoid used is 6378137.
      The flattening of the ellipsoid used is 1/298.257.
      
7. How does the data set describe geographic features?

   commodity

   Commodities present at the site (Source: this dataset)

   rec_no

   Record ID.

   Database record identifier, a value of main:recno. Integer values. Int of width 6. (Source: this dataset)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	1
   Maximum:	1635
   Resolution:	1

   value

   Commodity.

   Mineral commodity present at the site. Textual values of no more than 4 characters. (Source: this dataset)

   Value	Definition
   AGG	aggregate
   BAUX	bauxite
   Al	aluminum
   As	arsemic
   Au	gold
   Ba	barium, typically in barite
   Ca	calcium
   CAR	carbonate, typically in calcite, limestone, dolomite
   Cd	cadmium
   Ce	cerium
   CEM	cement
   CLY	clay
   COAL	coal
   Cu	copper
   DIT	diatomite
   DOL	dolomite
   F	fluorine
   Fe	iron, typically in hematite, magnetite
   FLD	feldspar
   GLA	glauconite
   GYP	gypsum
   I	Iodine
   La	lanthanum
   LIME	lime
   LST	limestone
   Mg	magnesium
   MICA	mica, typically in phlogopite, biotite, muscovite
   Mn	manganese
   Mo	molybdenum, typically in molybdenite
   N	Nitrogen, typically in guano
   Nb	niobium, typically in pyrochlore, columbite
   Ni	nickel
   P	phosphate, typically in apatite, fluorapatite
   Pb	lead
   PYR	pyrite
   REE	rare earth elements, typically in monazite, bastnäsite
   S	sulfur
   Si	silicon, typically in quartz
   Sr	strontium, typically in strontianite, celestite
   Ta	tantalum, typically in tantalite
   Th	thorium, typically in thorite, monazite
   Ti	titanium, typically in ilmenite, rutile
   U	uranium
   V	vanadium
   VRM	vermiculite
   Y	yttrium
   Zn	zinc
   Zr	zirconium, typically in zircon

   main

   Site location and characteristics (Source: this dataset)

   rec_no

   Record ID.

   Database record identifier. Integer values. Int of width 6. (Source: this dataset)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	1
   Maximum:	1635
   Resolution:	1

   country

   Country.

   Name of country in which the deposit occurs. Textual values of no more than 40 characters. (Source: this dataset)

   Value	Definition
   (no value)	Information not available for this record. 1 records have no value for country.

   stprov

   State or province.

   State or province where the deposit occurs. Textual values of no more than 40 characters. (Source: this dataset)

   Value	Definition
   (no value)	Information not available for this record. 476 records have no value for stprov.

   county

   County.

   Third order political subdivision containing the deposit, such as a county. Textual values of no more than 40 characters. (Source: this dataset)

   Value	Definition
   (no value)	Information not available for this record. 1342 records have no value for county.

   location

   Location description.

   General description of the location. Textual values of no more than 96 characters. (Source: this dataset)

   Value	Definition
   (no value)	Information not available for this record. 134 records have no value for location.

   site_name

   Site name.

   Name or names by which the site is known. Textual values of no more than 100 characters. (Source: this dataset)

   Value	Definition
   (no value)	Information not available for this record. 1255 records have no value for site_name.

   commodity

   Commodities.

   List of commodities present at the site. Textual values of no more than 10 characters. (Source: this dataset)

   Value	Definition
   (no value)	Information not available for this record. 4 records have no value for commodity.

   analytical

   Analytical data.

   Physical, chemical, or mineralogical analyses describing materials at the site. Textual values of no more than 254 characters. (Source: this dataset)

   Value	Definition
   (no value)	Information not available for this record. 1329 records have no value for analytical.

   latitude

   Latitude.

   Geographic latitude in decimal degrees, WGS84. Real numbers stored in double precision. (Source: this dataset)

   Value	Definition
   (no value)	Information not available for this record. 448 records have no value for latitude.

   Range of values
   Minimum:	-50.33333
   Maximum:	70.95
   Units:	decimal degrees

   longitude

   Longitude.

   Geographic longitude in decimal degrees, WGS84. Real numbers stored in double precision. (Source: this dataset)

   Value	Definition
   (no value)	Information not available for this record. 448 records have no value for longitude.

   Range of values
   Minimum:	-178.816667
   Maximum:	177.3
   Units:	decimal degrees

   loc_comm

   Comments on location.

   General comments on the location or how well we know it. Textual values of no more than 176 characters. (Source: this dataset)

   Value	Definition
   (no value)	Information not available for this record. 1245 records have no value for loc_comm.

   disc_yr

   Discovery year.

   Year in which the deposit was discovered. Textual values of no more than 32 characters. (Source: this dataset)

   Value	Definition
   (no value)	Information not available for this record. 1472 records have no value for disc_yr.

   prod

   Production.

   General characteristics of production at the site. Textual values of no more than 48 characters. (Source: this dataset)

   Value	Definition
   (no value)	Information not available for this record. 766 records have no value for prod.

   ann_prod

   Annual production.

   Annual production at the site in millions of metric tons of ore. Textual values of no more than 96 characters. (Source: this dataset)

   Value	Definition
   (no value)	Information not available for this record. 1442 records have no value for ann_prod.

   cum_prod

   Cumulative production.

   Cumulative production at the site in millions of metric tons of ore. Textual values of no more than 80 characters. (Source: this dataset)

   Value	Definition
   (no value)	Information not available for this record. 1476 records have no value for cum_prod.

   min_method

   Mining methods.

   Methods by which materials are extracted from the site. Textual values of no more than 20 characters. (Source: this dataset)

   Value	Definition
   (no value)	Information not available for this record. 1020 records have no value for min_method.

   resources

   Resource estimates.

   Estimates of the mineral endowment. Textual values of no more than 254 characters. (Source: this dataset)

   Value	Definition
   (no value)	Information not available for this record. 1059 records have no value for resources.

   company

   Company name.

   Name of the company associated with the site as operator, owner, or both. Textual values of no more than 80 characters. (Source: this dataset)

   Value	Definition
   (no value)	Information not available for this record. 1419 records have no value for company.

   dep_type

   Deposit type.

   General type of deposit. Textual values of no more than 96 characters. (Source: this dataset)

   Value	Definition
   (no value)	Information not available for this record. 99 records have no value for dep_type.

   sub_type

   Deposit subtype.

   Specific subtype of deposit; form or style of mineralization. Textual values of no more than 192 characters. (Source: this dataset)

   Value	Definition
   (no value)	Information not available for this record. 638 records have no value for sub_type.

   min_age_g

   Mineralization age (general).

   General age of mineralization. Textual values of no more than 96 characters. (Source: this dataset)

   Value	Definition
   (no value)	Information not available for this record. 506 records have no value for min_age_g.

   min_age_s

   Mineralization age (specific).

   Specific age of mineralization. Textual values of no more than 52 characters. (Source: this dataset)

   Value	Definition
   (no value)	Information not available for this record. 1286 records have no value for min_age_s.

   host_age

   Host rock age.

   Age of associated magmatism or host rocks. Textual values of no more than 40 characters. (Source: this dataset)

   Value	Definition
   (no value)	Information not available for this record. 1561 records have no value for host_age.

   host_lith

   Host rock lithology.

   Lithologic description of host or associated rocks. Textual values of no more than 208 characters. (Source: this dataset)

   Value	Definition
   (no value)	Information not available for this record. 517 records have no value for host_lith.

   host_unit

   Host rock unit.

   Host rock formation or complex name. Textual values of no more than 88 characters. (Source: this dataset)

   Value	Definition
   (no value)	Information not available for this record. 1196 records have no value for host_unit.

   minerals

   Minerals present.

   Major minerals present at the site. Textual values of no more than 232 characters. (Source: this dataset)

   Value	Definition
   (no value)	Information not available for this record. 1302 records have no value for minerals.

   descript

   Description.

   Geologic comments or description of the deposit. Textual values of no more than 254 characters. (Source: this dataset)

   Value	Definition
   (no value)	Information not available for this record. 1161 records have no value for descript.

   age_ref

   Age references.

   Bibliographic references (short citations) providing information about the age of the deposit. Textual values of no more than 128 characters. (Source: this dataset)

   Value	Definition
   (no value)	Information not available for this record. 617 records have no value for age_ref.

   comments

   Comments.

   General comments on the deposit or our knowledge of it. Textual values of no more than 254 characters. (Source: this dataset)

   Value	Definition
   (no value)	Information not available for this record. 1229 records have no value for comments.

   loc_ref

   Location references.

   Bibliographic references (short citations) providing information about the location of the deposit. Textual values of no more than 96 characters. (Source: this dataset) Textual values of no more than 96 characters.

   ref

   General references.

   Bibliographic references (short citations) providing general information about the site or deposit. Textual values of no more than 224 characters. (Source: this dataset)

   Value	Definition
   (no value)	Information not available for this record. 275 records have no value for ref.

   mas_id

   MAS/MILS ID number.

   Record number of the same site as described in the MAS/MILS database. Textual values of no more than 32 characters. (Source: this dataset)

   Value	Definition
   (no value)	Information not available for this record. 1365 records have no value for mas_id.

   mrds_id

   MRDS ID number.

   Record number of the same site as described in MRDS. Textual values of no more than 32 characters. (Source: this dataset)

   Value	Definition
   (no value)	Information not available for this record. 1371 records have no value for mrds_id.

   minerals

   Minerals present at the site (Source: this dataset)

   rec_no

   Record ID.

   Database record identifier, a value of main:recno. Integer values. Int of width 6. (Source: this dataset)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	1
   Maximum:	1635
   Resolution:	1

   value

   Mineral name.

   Name of a mineral present at the site. Textual values of no more than 48 characters. (Source: this dataset) Textual values of no more than 48 characters.

   other_db

   Other databases describing this site (Source: this dataset)

   rec_no

   Record ID.

   Database record identifier, a value of main:recno. Integer values. Int of width 6. (Source: this dataset)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	1
   Maximum:	1635
   Resolution:	1

   db

   Database name.

   Identifying abbreviation of another database. Textual values of no more than 4 characters. (Source: this dataset)

   Value	Definition
   MAS	The MAS/MILS database, a collection of information created by the U.S. Bureau of Mines.
   MRDS	The Mineral Resources Data System, a collection of information created by the USGS beginning in the 1970s.

   value

   Record ID.

   Identifier of a record within the other database that describes the same site or deposit. Textual values of no more than 10 characters. (Source: this dataset) Textual values of no more than 10 characters.

   ref

   Bibliographic references describing the site (Source: this dataset)

   ref_id

   Reference ID.

   Distinct identifier of this bibliographic reference. Integer values. Int of width 6. (Source: this dataset)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	1
   Maximum:	272
   Resolution:	1

   short_ref

   Short citation.

   Short citation for the bibliographic reference, such as might be used within the text of a report. Textual values of no more than 254 characters. (Source: this dataset) Textual values of no more than 254 characters.

   reference

   Bibliographic reference.

   Long form of the bibliographic reference, such as might be listed at the end of a report. Textual values of no more than 254 characters. (Source: this dataset) Textual values of no more than 254 characters.

   reflink

   Short citation link to bibliography (Source: this dataset)

   rec_no

   Record ID.

   Database record identifier, a value of main:recno. Integer values. Int of width 6. (Source: this dataset)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	1
   Maximum:	1635
   Resolution:	1

   subject

   Subject category.

   General category of concern for which the reference is relevant. Textual values of no more than 10 characters. (Source: this dataset)

   Value	Definition
   general	Information about the resource other than age or location.
   age	Information about age of mineralization or other geologic ages pertinent to the deposit.
   location	Information about geographic location or extent of the deposit.

   short_ref

   Short citation.

   Short citation of the bibliographic reference, a value o ref:short_ref. Textual values of no more than 128 characters. (Source: this dataset) Textual values of no more than 128 characters.

   datadxny

   Data dictionary, explaining tables and fields (Source: this dataset)

   id

   Row ID.

   Row identifier within datadxny table. Integer values. Int of width 0. (Source: this dataset)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	1
   Maximum:	68
   Resolution:	1

   tblorder

   Table order.

   Order in which this table should appear in some presentations. Integer values. Int of width 0. (Source: this dataset)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	2
   Maximum:	7
   Resolution:	1

   tblname

   Table name.

   Name of the table. Textual values of no more than 20 characters. (Source: this dataset) Textual values of no more than 20 characters.

   number

   Field order.

   Order in which this field occurs in the RDBMS. Integer values. Int of width 0. (Source: this dataset)

   Value	Definition
   (no value)	Information not available for this record. 7 records have no value for number.

   Range of values
   Minimum:	1
   Maximum:	33
   Resolution:	1

   label

   Field label.

   Label of the field in the RDBMS. Textual values of no more than 32 characters. (Source: this dataset)

   Value	Definition
   (no value)	Information not available for this record. 7 records have no value for label.

   category

   Category.

   General category of information provided by the contents of the field. Textual values of no more than 50 characters. (Source: this dataset)

   Value	Definition
   (no value)	Information not available for this record. 1 records have no value for category.

   short_desc

   Short description.

   Descriptive name of the field used in some presentations, not constrained by rules affecting the label. Textual values of no more than 40 characters. (Source: this dataset)

   Value	Definition
   (no value)	Information not available for this record. 1 records have no value for short_desc.

   description

   Description.

   Longer description of the purpose and contents of the field. Textual values of no more than 254 characters. (Source: this dataset) Textual values of no more than 254 characters.

   link

   Link.

   URL providing more information about the field. Textual values of no more than 96 characters. (Source: this dataset)

   Value	Definition
   (no value)	Information not available for this record. 68 records have no value for link.

   origin

   Origin.

   Abbreviation of an organization, data set, or other entity responsible for defining the field. Textual values of no more than 12 characters. (Source: this dataset)

   Value	Definition
   (no value)	Information not available for this record. 68 records have no value for origin.

   sqltype

   SQL data type.

   Data type of the field as used in the RDBMS. Textual values of no more than 8 characters. (Source: this dataset)

   Value	Definition
   (no value)	Information not available for this record. 7 records have no value for sqltype.

   dbftype

   DBF field type.

   Data type of the field when expressed in DBF. Textual values of no more than 1 characters. (Source: this dataset)

   Value	Definition
   (no value)	Information not available for this record. 7 records have no value for dbftype.

   width

   DBF field width.

   Field width when expressed in DBF. Integer values. Int of width 0. (Source: this dataset)

   Value	Definition
   (no value)	Information not available for this record. 7 records have no value for width.

   Range of values
   Minimum:	0
   Maximum:	4096
   Resolution:	1

   prec

   DBF field precision.

   Precision of the field (places to right of decimal) when expressed in DBF, only for numeric fields. Integer values. Int of width 0. (Source: this dataset)

   Value	Definition
   (no value)	Information not available for this record. 61 records have no value for prec.

   Range of values
   Minimum:	0
   Maximum:	5
   Resolution:	1

   units

   Units.

   Units of measure of the field values. Textual values of no more than 64 characters. (Source: this dataset)

   Value	Definition
   (no value)	Information not available for this record. 66 records have no value for units.

Who produced the data set?

1. Who are the originators of the data set? (may include formal authors, digital compilers, and editors)
   • Chernoff, Carlotta B.
   • Orris, Greta. J.
2. Who also contributed to the data set?
3. To whom should users address questions about the data?
   Peter N Schweitzer

   USGS Geology, Energy, and Minerals Science Center

   Geologist

   12201 Sunrise Valley Drive

   Reston, VA
   

   USA

   703-648-6533 (voice)

   703-648-6252 (FAX)

   pschweitzer@usgs.gov

Why was the data set created?

Provide an updated inventory of sites known to contain potentially exploitable mineral resources to support the development of comprehensive descriptive deposit models and grade-tonnage models.

How was the data set created?

1. From what previous works were the data drawn?

   OFR 02-156 (source 1 of 1)

   Chernoff, Carlotta B., and Orris, Greta J., 2002, Data set of world phosphate mines, deposits, and occurrences-- Part A. Geologic Data; Part B. Location and Mineral Economic Data: Open-File Report 2002-156, U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, California.

   Online Links:

   • https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2002/0156/

   Type_of_Source_Media: digital data
   Source_Contribution:

   Entire source of data. Some minor spelling corrections, re-formatting, reduction of non-informative values, and explicit linking of reference information was carried out to create the version found on MRData.usgs.gov.

2. How were the data generated, processed, and modified?

   Date: 2001 (process 1 of 2)

   G.J. Orris and C.B. Chernoff compiled the data on world phosphate deposits from previously published compilations, new published sources, "gray" literature, company internet sites, and other sources. Locations were commonly taken from published sources, no effort was made to determine the correctness of these data beyond a preliminary review to be sure they plot in the correct country. Other locations were found using the GEOnet Names server on the National Imagery and Mapping Agency's website, www.nima.mil. Still other locations were determined using available maps of varying scales. Most of the latitudes-longitudes are believed to be within 5 minutes of their true locations, but other locations may be highly inaccurate due to inadequate or incorrect location data.

   Date: Jan-2012 (process 2 of 2)

   Reformatting of the data, rearranging into separate relational tables, explicit linking, where possible, of short references with bibliography entries, reduction of non-informative data values. For example, "Unknown" need not be spelled out because a NULL value carries this meaning.

   OGC WMS, WFS, search, and data selection and download interfaces developed to enhance visibility and utility of these data. Data sources used in this process:

   • OFR 02-156

   Data sources produced in this process:

   • https://mrdata.usgs.gov/phosphate/

3. What similar or related data should the user be aware of?

How reliable are the data; what problems remain in the data set?

1. How well have the observations been checked?
   The accuracy of file data attributes is highly variable, especially for some parts of Africa and Asia. Most locations are believed to be within 5 minutes of the exact location; some locations are for the nearest town, and other locations may be highly inaccurate. Location errors are a result of inadequate or incorrect original data, error caused by multiple locations with the same name, and error introduced by data entry or location format conversion. Data were plotted at a preliminary stage to check that sites plotted in the correct country and the data tables were spot-checked (1 in 5 records) against the original data.
2. How accurate are the geographic locations?
   The horizontal positional accuracy of the digital data was checked to be sure that they plotted within the correct country. The latitudes and longitudes were largely determined using latitude-longitudes given in one of the references or determined from descriptions of the location using the maps available to us or the GEOnet Names server on the National Imagery and Mapping Agency's NIMA database. The accuracy of these locations vary with the detail of the original information.
   A consequence of these considerations is that no specific horizontal datum should be preferred for these data. Unfortunately modern GIS software requires that a datum be specified, so the WGS84 datum has been applied. However accuracy and precision of these locations does not warrant concern over the datum.
3. How accurate are the heights or depths?
   
4. Where are the gaps in the data? What is missing?
   This report is the most complete compilation of phosphate mines, deposits, and occurrences known. However, it is highly likely that there are additional phosphate sites that are not included. In addition, data for many of the sites are incomplete. Determination of latitudes and longitudes for some sites were impossible given the available data.
5. How consistent are the relationships among the observations, including topology?
   Location is not given by coordinates for 448 of the 1635 reported sites.

How can someone get a copy of the data set?

Are there legal restrictions on access or use of the data?

Access_Constraints: none
Use_Constraints: none

1. Who distributes the data set? (Distributor 1 of 1)
   
   Peter N Schweitzer

   USGS Geology, Energy, and Minerals Science Center

   Geologist

   12201 Sunrise Valley Drive

   Reston, VA
   

   USA

   703-648-6533 (voice)

   703-648-6252 (FAX)

   pschweitzer@usgs.gov
2. What's the catalog number I need to order this data set? USGS Open-File Report 2002-156
3. What legal disclaimers am I supposed to read?

   This report is preliminary and has not been reviewed for conformity with U.S. Geological Survey editorial standards (or with the North American Stratigraphic Code). Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

4. How can I download or order the data?
   • Availability in digital form:

     Data format:	Phosphate mine, deposit, or occurrence locations with geological and economic characteristics in format Shapefile (version 1.0)
     Network links:	https://mrdata.usgs.gov/phosphate/phosphate-csv.zip

     Data format:	Phosphate mine, deposit, or occurrence locations with geological and economic characteristics in format CSV (version 1.0)
     Network links:	https://mrdata.usgs.gov/phosphate/phosphate-csv.zip

     Data format:	Phosphate mines, deposits, and occurrences, with geological and economic characteristics in format WMS (version 1.3.0)
     Network links:	https://mrdata.usgs.gov/services/phosphate?request=GetCapabilities&service=WMS&version=1.3.0

     Data format:	Phosphate mines, deposits, and occurrences, with geological and economic characteristics in format WFS (version 1.0.0)
     Network links:	https://mrdata.usgs.gov/wfs/phosphate?request=GetCapabilities&service=WFS&version=1.0.0

   • Cost to order the data: none

Who wrote the metadata?

Dates:

Last modified: 27-Sep-2021

Metadata author:

Peter N Schweitzer

USGS Geology, Energy, and Minerals Science Center

Geologist

12201 Sunrise Valley Drive

Reston, VA

USA

703-648-6533 (voice)

703-648-6252 (FAX)

pschweitzer@usgs.gov

Metadata standard:

Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata (FGDC-STD-001-1998)