Fig. 9
From: From freshwater inflows to salt lakes and salt deposits in the Qaidam Basin, W China
Chloride versus bromide (A) and chloride versus lithium (B) concentration (mg/kg) in salt lakes (red dots) and low mineralized waters (blue dots). ‘Red’ numbers indicate salt lake samples (Table 1). The ‘red line’ shows saturation with respect to halite for a pure NaCl-solution. A The ‘green dotted line’ is the seawater dilution/evaporation line (Cl/Br = 288). Seawater data from Stumm and Morgan (1975). ‘Red dots’ with ‘violet edges’ indicate brines saturated with respect to halite. Brines with extremely high TDS have as well very high Br contents. B Lithium is enriched in evaporating halite-saturated brines. 'Green arrow' marks overall Li-Cl evolution path. Low TDS water from a hydrothermal environment with crystalline basement alteration show high Li/Cl ratios. The ‘violet dotted line’ is the trend line as observed in deep thermal waters from the crystalline basement of Central Europe (Black Forest and Upper Rhine Graben)