Marine evaporite

Marine evaporite systems operate in shallow restricted epicontinental basins in arid to hyperarid climatic zones. Elements present in seawater are concentrated by evaporation. As salinity increases, evaporite minerals typically precipitate in the following sequence : gypsum or anhydrite, halite, sylvite. Residual basin brines are enriched in conserved elements, such as Mg and Li. Incursion of fresh water or seawater can produce halite dissolution brines.
Color on map:

Deposit types

Name Commodities Critical minerals
Sabkha dolomite Building stone, aggregate, Mg Mg
Sedimentary magnesite Mg Mg
Gypsum Gypsum (CaSO4*2H2O) not-applicable
Salt Salt (NaCl) not-applicable
Potash Potash (KCl) Potash
Dissolution brine Petroleum, salt (NaCl) not-applicable

References


Source: Hofstra, A.H., and Kreiner, D.C., 2020, Systems-Deposits-Commodities-Critical Minerals Table for the Earth Mapping Resources Initiative: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2020-1042, 24 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20201042.

List of Earth MRI focus areas with mineral system = Marine evaporite

13 focus areas match these criteria.

Focus area Region States Mineral Systems Deposit types Commodities
Lisburne Alaska Alaska Marine evaporite Gypsum; Potash; Salt gypsum (CaSO4•2H2O); salt (NaCl)
Lisburne-Hanna Trough Alaska Alaska Marine evaporite Gypsum; Potash; Salt gypsum (CaSO4•2H2O); salt (NaCl)
Michigan Basin potash North Central Michigan Marine evaporite Potash; Salt salt (NaCl)
Williston Basin potash North Central Montana; North Dakota Marine evaporite Potash; Salt carnallite; salt (NaCl)
Eastern Salina Basin potash Northeast Maryland; New York; Ohio; Pennsylvania; West Virginia Marine evaporite Potash (none)
Eagle Basin Rocky Mountains Colorado Marine evaporite Dissolution brine; Gypsum; Potash anhydrite; gypsum (CaSO4•2H2O); petroleum; salt (NaCl)
High Plains potash South Central Kansas; Oklahoma; Texas Marine evaporite Potash; Salt salt (NaCl)
High Mg Dolomite (Florida Mountains) Southwest New Mexico Marine evaporite Sabka dolomite dolomite as crushed stone
Holbrook Basin potash Southwest Arizona Marine evaporite Potash (none)
Paradox Basin evaporites Southwest Colorado; Utah Marine evaporite Gypsum; Potash; Salt gypsum (CaSO4•2H2O); salt (NaCl)
Permian Basin Rustler Formation Southwest New Mexico; Texas Marine evaporite Potash; Salt salt (NaCl)
Permian Basin Salado Formation Southwest New Mexico; Texas Marine evaporite Potash; Salt salt (NaCl)
Southern California magnesite Southwest California Marine evaporite Sedimentary magnesite (none)