Gaylussite formation at Mono Lake, California

Journal Article · Sat Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1991 · Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(91)90144-T· OSTI ID:6139931

Bischoff, J L; Rosenbauer, R J ^[1]; Herbst, D B ^[2]

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1. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, CA (United States)
2. Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Lab., Mammoth Lakes, CA (United States)

The salinity of Mono Lake has steadily increased since 1941 from 50{per thousand} to about 90{per thousand} due to diversion of tributary streams. This increase has resulted in the newly discovered precipitation of gaylussite (Na{sub 2}Ca(CO{sub 3}){sub 2} {center dot} 5H{sub 2}O). Chemical modeling of the lake water using Pitzer equations suggests that gaylussite has been forming year round since about 1970 when the salinity first exceeded 80{per thousand}, and that it was earlier forming intermittently at lower salinities in the winter shortly after diversion began, breaking down incongruently to aragonite during summers. Lake water appears to remain at a constant 9-fold supersaturation with aragonite at all salinities, perhaps buffered by monohydrocalcite which appears to be just at saturation for all salinities. Other saline lakes also appear to be buffered by monohydrocalcite.

• OSTI ID: 6139931
• Journal Information: Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta; (United States), Vol. 55:6; ISSN 0016-7037
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

58 GEOSCIENCES
CALIFORNIA
SALT DEPOSITS
LAKES
GEOCHEMISTRY
SALINITY
SODIUM CARBONATES
PRECIPITATION
ARAGONITE
MINERALIZATION
SUPERSATURATION
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBONATE MINERALS
CARBONATES
CHEMISTRY
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
MINERALS
NORTH AMERICA
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
SATURATION
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SODIUM COMPOUNDS
SURFACE WATERS
USA
580000* - Geosciences