Stable isotope fractionation of chlorine during evaporation of brine from a saline lake

Brine from the saline Qarhan Lake was evaporated at 28±2°C in a clean environment.Two groups of experiments were conducted;one with complete separation of precipitate and brine at different stages of evaporation,and the other with continuous precipitation during the evaporation.Seventy-nine precipitate and brine samples were collected during the experiments,and the δ37 Cl values were determined using an improved thermal ionization mass spectrometry procedure for precise measurement of chlorine isotopes based on Cs2Cl+ ions.Based on the concentrations of Na+,K+,and Mg2+,evaporation was divided into three main precipitation stages as follows:halite dominant,carnallite dominant,and bischofite dominant.The δ37 Clsolid and δ37 Clliquid values of the precipitate and coexisting brine samples at different stages showed the following characteristics.The precipitates were enriched with 37 Cl relative to the coexisting brine samples,and the δ37 Cl of both the precipitate and brine samples decreased gradually during evaporation.The fractionation factors(αh) between halite and brine were the highest,followed by that(α c) between carnallite and brine,and then that(αb) between bischofite and brine.The αc and αb values of less than one,which indicate the precipitate is enriched in 35 Cl,were found when the evaporation process entered a new stage.However,the δ37 Cl values of carnallite,bischofite,and the coexisting brine samples decreased during evaporation.The residual brine is a 35 Cl reservoir.The experimental phenomena were consistent with the δ37 Cl values in saline deposits in the literature.δ37 Cl can be used as an indicator of brine evaporation processes,which is important in the exploration of sylvinite deposits.