Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Boron isotope geochemistry at Australian salt lakes

Journal Article · · Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta; (United States)
; ;  [1]; ;  [2]
  1. Australian National Univ., Canberra (Australia)
  2. Hebrew Univ., Jerusalem (Israel)

Boron isotope geochemistry has been investigated in brines, groundwaters, and sediments from the modern Australian salt lakes of Victoria, South Australia, and Western Australia by applying negative thermal-ionization mass spectrometry techniques. The geochemical history of the brines has been reconstructed by using {delta}{sup 11}B, B/Cl, and Na/Cl ratios. Na/Cl ratios are used as indicators of the origin of the salts as well as of halite dissolution-precipitation. The {delta}{sup 11}B values and B/Cl ratios are sensitive to a marine or non-marine origin adsorption of boron onto clays, and the effective water/sediment ratio. At low water/sediment (W/R) ratios, the preferential removal of {sup 10}B from the solution affects the bulk solution, whereas at high W/R ratios, the {delta}{sup 11}B value of a solution is not affected by adsorption. Although the {delta}{sup 11}B value of borate minerals may be a discriminant of marine or non-marine origin, boron isotopes are less distinctive in evaporative environments where boron is not an abundant component and where water/sediment interaction occurs.

OSTI ID:
7278445
Journal Information:
Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta; (United States), Journal Name: Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta; (United States) Vol. 55:9; ISSN GCACA; ISSN 0016-7037
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English