Zabuye salt lake
Tibet, Lhasa block, north of the Gangdese Mountains, China
OtherLi, B
- Type
- Lithium-boron salt lake (brines, natural lithium carbonate, borates)
Salt lake at 4421 m elevation in a back-arc basin bounded by NW and NE faults, known for very high B and Li contents and natural lithium carbonate precipitation; boron minerals in the deposits for about 4150 years, present lake isolated at about 9100 a BP. Zhang et al. (2023): brines from -18.06 to -13.63 ‰ (1.45 to 4.82 g/L B), boron supplied mainly by geothermal springs; low values due to redissolution of boron minerals rather than evaporation. Indicative coordinates, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| −15.85 ± 3.13 ‰ | −18.06 / −13.63 ‰ | 2 | lake water (dissolved boron) Mean and standard deviation recalculated from 2 analyses, -18.06 to -13.63 (W5 -13.63; W6 -18.06). 1454 and 4815 mg/L B, pH 9.01 and 9.86; δ18O -0.78 and -2.27 ‰. | Zhang et al. (2023), Boron source and evolution of the Zabuye salt lake, Tibet: Indicatio… |
| −16.54 ‰ | 1 | intercrystalline brine (dissolved boron) Single analysis (W7). 3487 mg/L B, pH 9.48; evaporation ratio of 87.4 % calculated from δ18O (-0.68 ‰). | Zhang et al. (2023), Boron source and evolution of the Zabuye salt lake, Tibet: Indicatio… | |
| −11.23 ‰ | 1 | travertine (calcite and aragonite) Single analysis (S1). 11.94 µg/g B. | Zhang et al. (2023), Boron source and evolution of the Zabuye salt lake, Tibet: Indicatio… | |
| −28.06 ‰ | 1 | lacustrine palaeocarbonate (hydromagnesite, aragonite, illite) Single analysis (S2). 69.14 µg/g B; deposited early in the salt-forming period. With a carbonate-fluid factor of 0.984, initial lake water of -12.32 to -12.26 ‰, close to Caizha geothermal water (-12.82 ‰). | Zhang et al. (2023), Boron source and evolution of the Zabuye salt lake, Tibet: Indicatio… |
Deposits of the same type
Cite this page
IsoFind Atlas (2026). Zabuye salt lake, isotope signatures. https://www.isofind.tech/isotopes/en/deposits/lac-sale-de-zabuye/ (accessed 2026-10-19).
@misc{isofind2026zabuyesaltlakeisotopesignatur,
title = {Zabuye salt lake, isotope signatures},
author = {{IsoFind Atlas}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://www.isofind.tech/isotopes/en/deposits/lac-sale-de-zabuye/},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-19}
}Updated : 2026-10-19