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Salar de Atacama

potash-bearing brine in Chile

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Geologic information

CountryChile
Location:-68.3463, -23.526
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Site typemine
Deposit typepotash-bearing brine
Evaporite basinAtacama
Basin typecontinental closed basin
Age
Cenozoic
Neogene(?)-Quaternary
Minimum:Cenozoic-Quaternary
Maximum:Cenozoic-Neogene(?)
Commodities
Minerals
Potassium minerals:
Lithology
Notes:Lacustrine and playa sediments.
Geologic map unit-68.3463, -23.526
Nearby scientific dataFind additional scientific data near this location

Economic information

Production
StatusActive Production (2009)
Estimates of reserves or resources
K2O tonnage1) 28.7; 2) 200 of K2SO4Million tonnes
Grade of K2O1) 1.18% of ore
Data source1) Russell (1988a); 2) Roberts (2008)

Reference information

References

Garrett, D.E., 1996, Potash; Deposits, processing, properties and uses: New York, Chapman and Hall, 734 p.
Harben, P., and Edwards, G., 1997, Salts of the Atacama; NO3, I, KCl + Li2CO3 = SQM: Industrial Minerals, no. 358, p. 43-51.
Pueyo, J.J., Chong, G., and Jensen, A., 2001, Neogene evaporites in desert volcanic environments; Atacama Desert, northern Chile: Sedimentology, v. 48, p. 1141-1431.
Roberts, T.L., 2008, Global potassium reserves and potassium fertilizer use: International Plant Nutrition Institute Web page accessed September 21, 2012, at http://www.ipni.net/ipniweb/portal.nsf/e0f085ed5f091b1b852579000057902e/9c5cff1af71db2ce852574e8004ecc00/$FILE/Roberts%20-%20ASA%20Nutrient%20Cycling%20Symposium%20Potash.pdf.
Roskill Information Services Ltd., 1989, The economics of potash (2d ed.): London, Roskill Information Services Ltd., 121 p.
Russell, Alison, 1988b, Potash; Long haul recovery under way: Industrial Minerals, no. 244, p. 16-34.