Distribution of Cambrian Salt Basin and Its Significance for Halite and Potash Explorations in China
WANG Shuli, ZHENG Mianping
MLR Key Laboratory of Saline Lake Resources and Environments, Institute of Mineral Resources, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing 100037, China
Abstract：The wide distribution of the Cambrian rock gypsum and salt is an important feature of older strata in Asia. The Cambrian salt-bearing sequences are mainly distributed in East Siberia of Russia, Iran, Oman, India, Pakistan, and China. Potash salts are also found in East Siberia, Iran, India, and Pakistan. The nature of the tectonic basement is a key controlling factor for the formation of potash basins. The stable tectonic region is favorable for the potash concentration in a quasi-stable region, and the quasi-stability is favorable for the salt concentration and the potash formation in a local stable tectonic region. For example, one of the largest potash deposits in the world--the Siberian Nepa potash deposit-was formed in the Early Cambrian in the palae-depression of Precambrian strata. China's major ancient saline basins are in quasi-cratons (continental block) with the Precambrian basement. In China, only one solid potash deposit in Yunnan can be exploited. However, there are a number of marine evaporite basins, so the study of marine evaporite basins is an important way to solve the problem of serious shortages of potash in China. In recent years, with the exploration of oil and natural gas and the development of the salt industry in China, the drilling has uncovered extensive gypsum and salt deposits in Cambrian strata. Four large marine evaporite basins were found in China. In this paper, through the lithofacies-paleogeographic analysis and the potash geological survey, extensive thick rock salt deposits are found in the Yangtze block and the Tarim block, where good and pronounced anomalies of high Br/Cl and K/Cl coefficients were identified. The Chengkou-Wuxi area of the Yangtze and the Tazhong area of the Tarim block are important areas for potash explorations in the Cambrian, and merit a further study. They provide some important information for carrying out the halite and potash explorations in Cambrian evaporite basins in China.
王淑丽;郑绵平. 寒武系盐盆地的分布特征及其对中国成盐找钾的意义[J]. , 2013, 31(4): 17-27.
WANG Shuli;ZHENG Mianping. Distribution of Cambrian Salt Basin and Its Significance for Halite and Potash Explorations in China. , 2013, 31(4): 17-27.
2013, Vol. 31 
