Regional Distribution and Prospects of Potash in China

Abstract

Abstract:China was formed by amalgamation of several small continental blocks (cratons), micro, blocks and orogenic belts in different paleoclimatic settings. It may be correlated with other continental blocks but has its own specific characteristics; therefore the tectonic environments of China's marine and continental saline basins and salt, and potash, forming environment have some specific characteristics: multiple phases of salt formation, difference in salt, forming ages, migration and concentration of salt, forming processes and diversity of component materials, as well as small sizes of marine saline basins and great changes of saline basins in the late stage and occurrence of abundant liquid mineral resources. The nature of the tectonic basement exerted a key controlling effect on the formation of potash basins. The stable tectonic region was favorable for potash concentration in a quasi, stable region, and quasi, and the quasi‐stable region was favorable for salt concentration and potash formation in a local stable tectonic region. Most China's major ancient saline basins occur in “quasi, cratons (continental block)”; especially all the marine saline basins occur in continental blocks with the Precambrian basement. These regions are the key ones for potash search. Most relatively large, scale soluble salt deposits are developed in relatively stable continental nuclei. According to the characteristics of the tectonic domains where China's salt, forming basins are located, the North China, Yangtze and Tarim, Qaidam salt minerogenetic domains and the northern Qiangtang, western Yunnan salt minerogenetic belt may be distinguished. Their salt and potash prospects will be discussed separately.

Genesis and evolution of deep K-rich confined brine in Mahai Basin, Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

“…Potassium (K) is key components of agricultural fertilizers that form essential inputs for plant growth and food production, which plays a vital role in ensuring food security (Zheng et al, 2015). More than 90% of the world's potash salt production capacity is used for potash fertilizer production, and other industrial elds account for about 10% (Zheng et al, 2010(Zheng et al, , 2015Zhang and Zheng, 2021). Qaidam Basin (QB), located on the northern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, is the largest Cenozoic continental sedimentary basin.…”

Enclosed Extent of the Saline Water and its Constraints on the Sedimentary and Salt Forming Characteristics: A Case Study of the Paleogene Playas in Hoh Xil Basin

“…There is a long period of hot, arid climates in the Jurassic-Neogene, in the eastern of the Neo-Tethys where is been called Western Yunnan-Qiangtang tectonic belt (Zheng et al, 2010). Especially in the Paleogene, under the control of the planetary winds and the north subtropical high pressure belts, a ribbon arid, semi-arid climate zone was throughout this tectonic belt, and get further cold and dry with the formation of polar ice sheets.…”

Sedimentary Conditions of Evaporites in the Late Jurassic Xiali Formation, Qiangtang Basin: Evidence from Geochemistry Records

“…In addition, statistics show that the Late Jurassic witnessed a peak in marine potash deposition (Sandberg, 1983;Hardie, 1996;Lowenstein et al, 2001;Liu Chenglin et al, 2006), resulting in largescale halite and potash deposits in the Karakum and Amu Darya basins in Central Asia, which were located on the northern margin of the Tethys Sea. Thus, studies on Upper Jurassic marine strata are worthwhile in order to reduce the acute shortage of potash resources in China (Liu Chenglin et al, 2006;Zheng Mianping et al, 2010;Zheng et al, 2011;Niu Xinsheng et al, 2013;.…”

“…The QB in the central Tibetan Plateau (Liu et al, 2001;Fig. 1a) is a Jurassic marine basin (Lu et al, 2009;Fu et al, 2013;Ren et al, 2015) and a prospective salt resource belt in China (Zheng Mianping et al, 2010;Zheng et al, 2011). It adjoins the Karakum and Amu Darya basins.…”

“…The Middle-Upper Jurassic marine strata in the QB, termed the Yanshiping (YSP) Group, were deposited during a transgression-regression-transgression (T-R-T) cycle (Tan Fuwen et al, 2004a, b;Wang et al, 2008Wang et al, , 2010Wang, L.B., et al, 2013). The T-R-T cycle resulted in the formation of evaporites (Zheng Mianping et al, 2010), as demonstrated by the many outcrops of gypsiferous beds in the YSP Group (Li Zhongxiong et al, 2008, 2010Wu Tao et al, 2010;see Fig. 1b for locations).…”