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Application of sulfur isotopes for analysing the sedimentary environment of evaporite in low-altitude intermountain basins: a case study on the Kumishi basin, Northwest China

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Abstract

The formation environment of continental evaporite—particularly the sedimentary environment closely related to continental evaporite deposits—has received significant research attention for several years. From this perspective, an intermountain basin exists in the inland area of Northwest China, known as the Kumishi basin. The elevation of this basin is relatively low, where a set of evaporite series strata developed during the late Quaternary. In this paper, we analysed the sedimentary environment of the Kumishi basin in terms of the sulfur isotopes combined with its paleosalinity characteristics. The results show that the δ34SV-CDT isotopic composition ranges from 6 to 11‰. The isotopic fractionation effect of the surface salt crust is significantly lower than that of the lower halite layer owing to the influence of surrounding fresh water and other chemicals. The low sulfur isotopic value is indicative of a typical continental sedimentary environment. In addition, the bacterial sulfate reduction (BSR) indicates that the sulfate formation environment is open to sulfates, and rejects H2S. This phenomenon further indicates the weak bacterial reduction environment in the Kumishi basin. In combination with its paleosalinity characteristics, we determined that the saltwater environment influenced the changes in sulfur isotope value. This can facilitate the further understanding of the sedimentary environment of evaporites in low altitude intermountain basins.

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Fig. 1

modified from Qin et al. 2012); and c Plane position of the QJ1-QJ9 shallow wells

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Acknowledgements

We thank the editors and the anonymous reviewers for their reviews and suggestions. This work is supported by the Chemical Exploration Fund (2017-02) Supported by China Chemical Geology and Mine Bureau.

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China Chemical Geology and Mine Bureau, 2017-02.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266590, Shandong, China

    Tiantao Yin & Shoujun Li

  2. Shandong Geological Prospecting Institute of China Chemical Geology and Mine Bureau, Jinan, 250013, Shandong, China

    Tiantao Yin

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Yin, T., Li, S. Application of sulfur isotopes for analysing the sedimentary environment of evaporite in low-altitude intermountain basins: a case study on the Kumishi basin, Northwest China. Carbonates Evaporites 37, 11 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13146-022-00758-5

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