Progress in the investigation of potash resources in western China

Through the study of the geological conditions of potash deposits in China from recent years,a new understanding of potash theories has arisen that appropriate Chinese geological features.Important progress and substantial breakthroughs have been gained in the direction and management of potash prospecting: (1) Important breakthroughs in continental potassium prospecting:The "Quaternary gravel type deep potassium rich brine metallogenic model in western Qaidam" ensures Quaternary deep potassium rich brine prospecting will grow new KCl resources by 350 Mt,providing a resource guarantee for meeting the Chinese demand for sylvite.(2) The Marine facies potash prospecting shows good prospects: the determination of the new type of Triassic polyhalite potash ore deposits in Sichuan provide an important scientific basis for the establishment of exploration planning and the selection of exploration target areas for polyhalite minerals in the Sichuan Basin;The "two-storey potash deposits model" in southwestern Yunnan has been confirmed,which indicates prospects for the exploration of potash in the deeper Marine facies in southwestern Yunnan are likely to be successful.The discovery of a high concentration of rich bromite salt and potash salt in the Paleogene of the Kuqa depression and the southwestern Tarim region provides strong support for the likelihood large-scale potash deposits exist in these regions.

Provenance of the Early Permian bauxitic claystone in Huayingshan region,Sichuan Basin,South China:Constraints from U-Pb ages and trace elements of detrital zircons

The Early Permian bauxite in the Sichuan Basin is an important part of karst-type bauxite deposits in South China Block and its provenance is poorly understood.Here we present results of mineralogy,wholerock geochemistry,detrital zircon U-Pb ages and trace element compositions of the bauxitic claystone from the Lower Permian Dazhuyuan Formation and those of the siltstone from the underlying Lower Silurian Hanjiadian Formation in Huayingshan region,Sichuan Basin,South China Block to constrain the provenance of the bauxitic claystone.Detrital zircons from bauxitic claystone and siltstone have similar age spectra,and the ages of bauxitic claystone are classified into five groups of 2600-2200 Ma,1800-1600 Ma,1200-900 Ma,900-650 Ma,and 650-400 Ma respectively.Those of the siltstone are classified into four groups of 2600-2200 Ma,1200-900 Ma,900-650 Ma,and 650-400 Ma respectively.We propose that the bauxitic claystone in the study region has mixed sources:the siltstone of the Lower Silurian Hanjiadian Formation probably constitutes the dominant source,and the Late Paleoproterozoic magmatic rocks along the western margin of the Yangtze Block are probably the secondary source.Moreover,the source materials of the Hanjiadian Formation siltstone are mainly sourced from Grenville-aged magmatic rocks in the Cathaysia Block and Neoproterozoic magmatic rocks in the Jiangnan orogen,with minor contributions from the underlying clastic sediments in the Cathaysia Block and Pan-African magmatic rocks in the orogen in eastern Gondwana.

Characteristics and origin of a new type of polyhalite potassium ore in the Lower Triassic Jialingjiang Formation, Puguang area, northeastern Sichuan Basin, SW China

A new type of polyhalite potassium ore(NTPPO) was found in the Lower Triassic Jialingjiang Formation, NE Sichuan Basin, SW China. It is water soluble, therefore can be exploited using the water-solution method, and is of great potential of economic value and research significance. Based on cores, thin sections, energy spectrum and SEM analyses, its microfeatures, macrofeatures and origin are discussed, and a genetic model is established to provide a scientific basis for future evaluation, prediction and exploration of potassium ore in the Sichuan Basin. It is proposed that the NTPPO was caused by storm activities:(1) the storm broke the original sedimentary polyhalite–gypsum beds, whose fragments were transported into the salt basin with high content of K+ and Mg2+;(2) in the basin, the polyhalite continued to be formed from gypsum by metasomatism with K-and Mg-rich brine;(3) during diagenesis, under high temperature and high pressure, K–Mg-rich brine from halite continued to replace anhydrite(or gypsum) to form polyhalite.