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Distribution and origin of brine-type Li-Rb mineralization in the Qaidam Basin, NW China

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Abstract

The Qaidam Basin on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is well endowed with a variety of critical metals, such as Li and Rb. However, little is known about the distribution, source, and enrichment mechanisms of these elements. In this paper, we present results of systematic geochemical and H-O-B isotopic analyses of brines in the Tertiary and Quaternary sediments of the Qaidam basin. The results reveal that the paleobrines from oil-bearing anticlines at Dafengshan, Nanyishan, Youquanzi, Jiandingshan, and Jianshishan are significantly enriched in Li and Rb, whose contents are 81.1–128.9 mg L−1 and 4.5–29.2 mg L−1, respectively, reaching levels of economic significance. High Rb contents (up to 12.5 mg L−1) and well-endowment of Li also characterize the Dongtai, Xitai, Yiliping, and Senie salt lakes in the Qaidam Basin. The Tertiary paleobrine average in δD and δ18O at −40.7‰ and 2.84‰, respectively. The paleobrine with the highest Li and Rb has δD and δ18O values close to magmatic water. The δ11B values are lower than those of river water but close to those of geothermal fluids, suggesting that replenishment by deep magmatic hydrothermal fluid is most likely the key mechanism for the anomalous enrichment of these elements in the paleobrines, though evaporation and water-rock reactions have contributed to the critical metal mineralization. The anomalous enrichment of Li and Rb in modern salt lake brines is closely related to the input of volcanic geothermal water. The relatively high Li and Rb contents of intercrystalline brines in salt lakes of the western Qaidam Basin and the increase of Li and Rb contents with increasing depth were caused by upwelling of local paleobrines along the fault zones.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to express our gratitude to the three anonymous reviewers and the executive editor for their reviews and suggestions, which helped us to significantly improve this manuscript. This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 41972258, U1407128, and 41402229), the Talent Program of Youth Innovation Promotion Association of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. 2020428), the Natural Science Foundation of Qinghai Province (Grant No. 2021-ZJ-980Q), and the Second Comprehensive Scientific Expedition to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (Grant No. 2019QZKK0805).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China

    Jiansen Li & Fukun Chen

  2. Key Laboratory of Comprehensive and Highly Efficient Utilization of Salt Lake Resources, Qinghai Institute of Salt Lakes, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, 810008, China

    Jiansen Li, Tingwei Li & Yunqi Ma

  3. Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Geology and Environment of Salt Lakes, Xining, 810008, China

    Jiansen Li, Tingwei Li & Yunqi Ma

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  1. Jiansen Li
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Correspondence to Jiansen Li.

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Li, J., Li, T., Ma, Y. et al. Distribution and origin of brine-type Li-Rb mineralization in the Qaidam Basin, NW China. Sci. China Earth Sci. 65, 477–489 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-021-9855-6

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