Earth Science Frontiers ›› 2021, Vol. 28 ›› Issue (6): 10-28.DOI: 10.13745/j.esf.sf.2021.1.40

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Research progress and new views on the potash deposits in the Simao and Khorat Basins

YAN Maodu1,2,*, ZHANG Dawen3,*, LI Minghui1,2   

  1. 1. Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100010, China;
    2. State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Resources and Environment(TPESRE), Beijing, 100101, China;
    3. College of Tourism and Resource Environment, Zaozhuang University, Zaozhuang 277160, China;
  • Received:2020-03-25 Revised:2020-10-06 Online:2021-11-25 Published:2021-11-25

Abstract: The Simao and Khorat Basins belong to the same tectonic zone of the Tethys. The potash deposits in the two basins share similarities in regional distribution, sedimentary characteristics, potassic salt horizon, mineral assemblage and brine source. Therefore, the Simao Basin is believed to be one of the important areas with high exploration potential for marine potash exploration in China. Although significant progress has been made in understanding the formation mechanism of the potash deposits, the relationship between the two basins and the metallogenic model/pattern of potash deposits are still highly debatable. This paper summarized the recent achievements in the tectonic features, stratigraphic chronology, paleoclimate environment and provenance of potash deposits in the two basins to provide a better understanding for future potash metallogenic regularity study and facilitate breakthroughs in potash exploration in the Simao Basin. We believe: (1) The Simao and Indochina terranes might have been a unified terrane in the subtropical high-pressure belt during the Mesozoic, where the Late Triassic, Middle-Late Jurassic and Late Cretaceous were under favorable tectono-climatic conditions for potash formation. (2) The two basins may share similar potential provenance areas, including the Yangtze, Songpan-Ganzi, Hoh Xil, Yidun and North and South Qiangtang terranes. (3) The principal source materials mainly came from a terrestrial water source, with some seawater and deep hydrothermal fluid recharges. (4) The depositional ages of the potash-bearing strata in the two basins only partially overlap rather than contemporaneous. (5) The potash mines in the Simao and Khorat basins might have deposited in different periods. Together with other tectono-climatic evidence, the formation time of the Khorat potash deposit, i.e, ~85.0 Ma, would be another potentially important period to explore for potash deposits in the Simao Basin.

Key words: Simao Basin, Khorat Basin, potash deposit, tectonic features, strata chronology, paleoclimate environment, provenance

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