The Redistribution of Phosphorus in Basic Volcanic Rocks

This work presents data on phosphorus content in the central and peripheral sectors of primary jointing blocks in olivine basalts of the Baikal rift zone (Khamar-Daban Range), as well as basaltic andesite flows and dolerite sills on the Karabakh Highland of the Lesser Caucasus. The P₂O₅ content decrease near cracks in volcanic rocks of the Baikal rift zone is caused by leaching of phosphorus during humid weathering. Estimates of the amount of mobilized phosphorus suggest that alkaline basic volcanic rocks can serve as the continental source for the formation of phosphates.