Phosphate occurrences in São Gonçalo do Amarante, Fortaleza Metropolitan Region, Ceará State, Brazil

Abstract

Recent geological mapping in the Fortaleza Metropolitan Region, Ceará State, has identified new phosphate‑bearing lithologies with concentrations reaching ~25% P₂O₅. These occurrences, located in the municipality of São Gonçalo do Amarante, display diverse mineralization styles, including hydrothermal quartz‑vein systems with stockwork textures, phosphate‑rich breccias containing ironstone clasts, and supergene features such as pisolitic structures and karst‑like dissolution. The coexistence of hydrothermal, sedimentary, and supergene mineralization styles highlights the metallogenic complexity of the phosphate mineral system in this region and underscores the strategic importance of Ceará as an emerging frontier for phosphate exploration.