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EVAPORITAS Y LI-K EN
SALMUERAS
YACIMIENTOS MINERALES
CICLO 202
• Las evapofacies pueden ser boratos, carbonatos, sulfatos, cloruros, de Ca, Na, K, Mg,
quedando como remanente (luego de la precipitación) un fluido salino o salmuera
enriquecido en Li y/o K que se aloja en los acuíferos dentro de las cuencas.
La precipitación de las evaporitas depende de:
1. Solubilidad/
saturación
2. Presión
3. Temperatura
4. Ambiente
5. Clima /
estaciona-lidad
The appearance of the different mineral
phases depends on :
o Climate.
o Chemical composition of the
sourced waters, which is a function
of the origin. Waters evaporated do
not behave like an isochemical
reservoir like the ocean, its
composition depends on the
lithologies in the surroundings.
Modified from
o Isotopic composition of the water supply, and the isotopic variation in water as a King et al. (2015).
function of the crystallized phases. For example, the d34S in the gypsum scale
oscillates between +13.0 and +18.8 ‰, registering much lower values (~+3 ‰) in
those close to S ores. For Hombre Muerto waters, the ratio 87Sr / 86Sr indicates
interaction of meteoric water with young volcanic material in areas of major faults.
The d2H / d18O ratio allows to discriminate the signature of the contribution waters
with respect to the meteoric water correlation line, while the Cl / Br ratio
differentiates the origin of the solutes.
ORDEN DE PRECIPITACIÓN
ZONACIÓN
• Las evapofacies pueden desarrollar una zonación lateral de carbonatos-sulfatos-cloruros, que
se encuentran desde la zona de borde hacia el depocentro. La distribución puede variar en su
diseño: ojo de buey (bullseye) o lágrima.
TECTÓNICA CENOZOICA ANDINA
• From the Oligocene to Miocene (25 to 20 Ma), the region was consolidated as an uplifted
terrain, calc-alkaline magmatism was installed, and a basin-and-range geomorphology was
set. Lava flows, piroclastic and sedimentary units are progressively more common towards
east.
• Major uplift of the Altiplano-Puna plateau began during the middle to late Miocene (10 to 15
Ma), perhaps reaching 2,500 masl by 10 Ma, and 3,500 masl by 6 Ma.
• Significant shortening across the Puna on reversed thrusts led to the initiation of separated
depositional centers. Leaching of favorable lithologies and repeated seasonal precipitation
with extreme evaporation rates in the closed basins resulted in large accumulations of
evaporate minerals and latterly lithium and potassium bearing brines.
• NW Argentina experienced a semi-arid to arid climate since 150 Ma as a result of its stable
location relative to the global scale tropical atmospheric circulation that features air rising
near the equator. Increasing aridity and dayly amplitude installed from 10-15 Ma.
• As a result of both reduced tectonic activity and frequent aridity,
a reduction in erosion and accommodation space meant that
sediment accumulation in the isolated basins was limited.
• Clima árido.
• Rocas circundantes enriquecidas en Li, que actúan como fuente del Li.
2. Referida a la configuración de las cuencas: En el NOA son elongadas N-S (gral.), endorreincas,
con episodios de relleno-subsidencia, afectadas por clima árido.
Vertical section reconstructed from passive ESTRUCTURACIÓN
seismic data Sección in Carachipampa basin.
Modified from Lake Resources (2018). DE LOS DEPOCENTROS
• Saline lakes: they are bodies of permanent saline water that occupy
the entire area of the salt flat. It is common the precipitation of
mirabilite (Na2SO4) in winter due to the reduction of the solubility
with the descent of temperature.
• Playa: they are ephemeral and shallow saline lakes (<20 cm) that
occupy diverse sectors of muddy plains developed in the center of Saline crust
the depression. A few meters below this surface is a confined
aquifer containing a brine and evaporates interstitially 3Q project
• Saline crusts: can be of two types, active or fossil.
The active crusts are formed from the evaporation of brines that reach
saturation with respect to the crystallizing phase; their thickness can
reach 50 cm. The fossil crusts have a mineralogy equivalent to the
active crusts, but their thickness is considerably greater in the order
of 10 m, and can present holes of dissolution in halite and plastic
deformation in gypsum.
CUENCAS SALINAS
CUATERNARIAS DEL NOA
TRIÁNGULO DEL
LITIO
CUENCAS SALINAS DE
SALTA
S. Pulares
S. Llullaillaco
S. Arizaro
S. Rio
Grande
FIN DE LAS CLASES TEÓRICAS
DE
YACIMIENTOS MINERALES