THE 



QUARTERLY JOURNAL 



OP 



THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON. 



Vol. LXXIX 



por 1923. 



1. Notes on the Phosphate Deposit of Ocean Island ; toitli 

 Remakes on the Phosphates of the Equatorial Belt 

 of the Pacific Ocean. By Launcelot Owen, A.R.S.M., 

 A.R.C.S., F.G.S. (Read December 21st, 1921.) 



Contents. t, 



Page 



I. Introduction 1 



II. Bibliography 2 



III. General Structure of Ocean Island 3 



IV. The Capping of Phosphate 4 



V. Distribution within the Phosphate Deposit 6 



VI. Method of Formation 11 



VII. Conclusions 13 



I. Introduction. 



Within the tropical belt of the Pacific Ocean occur several 

 islands containing deposits rich in calcium phosphate. The 

 majority of these islands are situated within 10° of the Equator, 

 and between longitudes 140° E. and 180° E. 



At the present day, the islands the deposits of which may be 

 considered as of commercial importance are Angaur, Makatea 

 (near Tahiti), Nauru, and Ocean Island. Other islands, most of 

 which have been worked in the early days of the phosphate 

 industry, are Baker, Howland, Phcenix, Sydney, Maiden, Christmas, 



Q. J. O. S. No. 313. b 



