A STUDY OF PHOSPHORITE AND APATITE BY SEM AND SIMS

This paper presents our observations of the microstructure of phosphor ite by SEM, providing evidence that phosphorite is a mass (block) comp osed of microcrystals of carbonate-fluor apatite. Our development of t he method of SIMS quantitative analysis of the iodine content in apati te shows that iodine has entered into the crystal lattice of apatite, and our study of the technique of determining trace elements and rare earth elements in apatite expounds that apatite can be considered as a ''finger print mineral'' and records the evolutionary history of the geological body it is found in.