Da Qaidam Lake
Qinghai, northern Qaidam Basin, China
OtherB
- Type
- Salt lake with brine and lacustrine borates
Pleistocene to modern salt lake of the northern Qaidam Basin, NaCl-saturated brine (0.51 to 1.15 mg/mL B, pH 6.3 to 7.2) with lacustrine borates (ulexite, macallisterite, hydroboracite). Xiao et al. (1992): brines from +2.52 to +10.81 ‰ (mean +5.49 ‰), non-marine source; boron comes from meteoric waters (+5.79 to +16.69 ‰) and deep waters (-11.72 to +1.01 ‰), and brine δ11B follows that of the nearest feeding water. Indicative coordinates, centre of the sampled area (Figure 3), not published in the article.
δ11B in ‰ (per mil) Values of the same system
Standard : NIST SRM 951
| Value | Range | n | Mineral or matrix | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8.56 ± 1.78 ‰ | 7.3 / 9.82 ‰ | 2 | interstitial brine (dissolved boron) Mean and standard deviation recalculated from 2 analyses, +7.30 to +9.82 (1 +9.82; 2 +7.30). | Xiao et al. (1992), Boron isotopic compositions of brine, sediments, and source water in … |
| 4.18 ± 1.81 ‰ | 2.75 / 6.78 ‰ | 4 | brine at water inlets (dissolved boron) Mean and standard deviation recalculated from 4 analyses, +2.75 to +6.78 (3 +6.78; 5 +3.21; 7 +2.75; 14 +3.98). Points 3, 5, 7 and 14 of Table 4, brine sampled at water outlets in the lake. | Xiao et al. (1992), Boron isotopic compositions of brine, sediments, and source water in … |
| 5.42 ± 2.21 ‰ | 2.52 / 10.81 ‰ | 11 | surface brine (dissolved boron) Mean and standard deviation recalculated from 11 analyses, +2.52 to +10.81 (4 +10.81; 6 +6.50; 8 +5.56; 9 +5.42; 10 +5.32; 11 +5.47; 12 +5.84; 13 +5.76; 15 +3.59; 16 +2.84; 17 +2.52). Published mean of the 17 brines: +5.49 ± 2.34 ‰. | Xiao et al. (1992), Boron isotopic compositions of brine, sediments, and source water in … |
| −5.59 ± 2.26 ‰ | −7.54 / −1.06 ‰ | 8 | lake sediment in contact with brine (clays, bulk) Mean and standard deviation recalculated from 8 analyses, -7.54 to -1.06 (4 -1.06; 6 -6.38; 8 -7.54; 9 -7.25; 10 -3.24; 11 -6.85; 12 -6.41; 13 -5.96). 3.65 to 17.21 mg/g B; boron adsorbed in tetrahedral form on clays. | Xiao et al. (1992), Boron isotopic compositions of brine, sediments, and source water in … |
| −8.35 ± 0.77 ‰ | −9.23 / −7.8 ‰ | 3 | lacustrine borates (ulexite, macallisterite, hydroboracite) Mean and standard deviation recalculated from 3 analyses, -9.23 to -7.80 (26 ulexite -7.80; 27 « Callisterite » -9.23; 28 « Droborate » -8.03). Table 6 names kept as printed; the text refers to macallisterite and hydroboracite and gives -4.58 to -9.23 ‰, which contradicts the -7.80 ‰ minimum of the table. | Xiao et al. (1992), Boron isotopic compositions of brine, sediments, and source water in … |
| −8.1 ‰ | 1 | carbonate nodule (aragonite) Single analysis (29). | Xiao et al. (1992), Boron isotopic compositions of brine, sediments, and source water in … |
Deposits of the same type
Cite this page
IsoFind Atlas (2026). Da Qaidam Lake, isotope signatures. https://www.isofind.tech/isotopes/en/deposits/lac-da-qaidam/ (accessed 2026-10-19).
@misc{isofind2026daqaidamlakeisotopesignatures,
title = {Da Qaidam Lake, isotope signatures},
author = {{IsoFind Atlas}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://www.isofind.tech/isotopes/en/deposits/lac-da-qaidam/},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-19}
}Updated : 2026-10-19