Objective
Two major aims are proposed to be followed:
(a) to trace the behaviour of sulphur and strontium isotopes during the evaporation of brines from the sulphate - to the carnallite stage and;
(b) to study the behaviour of S and Sr isotopes during diagenetic transformation of evaporate brines in non-evaporite carbonate and terrigenous formations.
Both chloride [(SO4+HCO3)
The end goal of the proposed project is to make a contribution to solving the fundamental problem of the nature of two essential evolutionary paths of evaporative brines: the chloride versus the sulphate lines of evaporate process on Earth.
Since the sulphate reduction process and water rock interaction are at the heart of both surface and subsurface branches of brine evolution, the sulphur isotope analysis of sulphate and sulphide minerals as well as strontium isotope analysis of sulphate minerals and brine host rocks were chosen as the main tools of the suggested study.
Following the above objectives, the proposed research is subdivided into two phases. The first one will centre on the study of 34S/32S and 87Sr/86Sr ratios in bedded anhydrite, accessory anhydrite, gypsum and pyrite of salt rocks and sulphate and sulphide minerals from modern evaporate sediments. The second phase of research will include the study of sulphur and strontium isotopes of diagenetic sulphate minerals from subsaliferous and intersaliferous zones of evaporite-bearing sequences in comparison with the same isotopes of depositional sulphates.
Chloride type basins will be represented by
(a) the Eifelian basin of Northern and Middle Belarus, gypsum derivatives of which occur through the Ordovician, Cambrian and Upper Proterozoic non-evaporite lithofacies;
(b) the Upper Frasnian and Upper Famennian of the Pripyat Trough (Southern Belarus), where thick salt deposits include halite, sylvinite and carnallite layers, and;
(c) the Dead Sea, largest modern, chloride type evaporate basin.
Sulphate type basins will include
(a) the Lower Permian basin of the Caspian Depression which comprises thick halogenic deposits with numerous evidences of intensive sulphate reduction (H2S);
(b) the Zechstein basin of the United Kingdom where diagenetic anhydrite which formed from evaporite brines is widespread in carbonate deposits of Verra, Stassfurt and Leyne series, and;
(c) Kara-Bogaz-Gol which is known to be a typical basin of modern evaporate deposition of the sulphate type.
The project should lead towards two kinds of parallel models. The first kind should describe the evolution of sulphur and strontium isotopes during evaporation of chloride and sulphate type brines. Such models will describe the isotope history of different brine types at the surface, and will be a contribution into the poorly understood problem of existence of chloride and sulphate lines of evaporate process on Earth.
The second kind models will be analogous ones for the subsurface evolution of brines.
The results of investigation will supplement the geochemical database with numerous isotope determinations among which strontium isotope data are of special significance. The project results will be hopefully published in international journals and submitted at international conferences.
Call for proposal
Data not availableFunding Scheme
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91904 Jerusalem
Israel