Lithium isotopic composition of the carbonate type salt lake in Tibet and its implication for origin and hydrological processes

作者：Jiangdi Zhou, Maoyong He, Binkai Li, Jiangang Jiao, Zhongli Tang, Zhengyan Li, Hui Rao · 发表于：Scientific Reports · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1038/s41598-025-95913-y · 被引用次数：8 · 研究领域：Groundwater and Isotope Geochemistry、Geochemistry and Elemental Analysis、Geology and Paleoclimatology Research

Abstract The implementation of the carbon peaking and carbon neutrality strategy has led to a steady increase in the supply of lithium resources. Brine is one of the important sources of lithium, and the extraction of Li from carbonate-type brine is particularly straightforward. Research into the source of materials and hydrological processes of brine is crucial for the sustainable development of lithium in carbonate-type brine. As a fluid-mobile and metallogenic element, lithium has a significant mass difference between its stable isotopes ( 7 Li and 6 Li), leading to isotopic fractionation. In this study, we analyzed the hydrochemistry and Li isotope compositions of samples collected from a Li-rich salt lake (Bangor Co) in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. The samples included lake brines, recharge rivers, cold springs, and salt minerals (hydromagnesites). The Li content in the various types of water varied significantly, ranging from 0.06 mg/L to 198.10 mg/L, showing a variation of 4 orders of magnitude. Water samples exhibit a wide range of δ 7 Li values, varying from 4.89‰ to 16.02‰. Notably, the lowest and highest values are observed in cold springs. Additionally, the concentrations and δ 7 Li values in hydromagnesite differ across various relative ages. The hydrochemistry indicated that the recharge water is influenced by rock weathering, but the lake brine is influenced by evaporation concentration. The analysis of trace elements and Li isotopic data reveals that rock weat...