Enrichment Mechanism of Lithium in Geothermal Waters from a Bedrock Reservoir in Xiong’an New Area, China

Abstract

The lithium concentrations in the geothermal waters of the Wumishan Formation carbonate reservoir in China Xiong’an New Area are over 1 mg/L and are even higher than those in the geothermal waters of granite reservoirs in some areas of China. It is still unknown which are the most important factors controlling the lithium concentrations in the geothermal waters in the study area. This article selected the analysis and test data of 32 geothermal water samples obtained in recent years from the study area and combined them with hydrochemical analysis and test data from granite reservoirs in other regions of China to study the enrichment mechanism of lithium in the geothermal waters in the study area. The results of the hydrochemical data analysis indicate that the lithology, pH, and water–rock interaction between geothermal water and carbonate rocks are not the main factors affecting the lithium concentrations in the study area. The mixing of paleo-seawater and the leaching of the evaporated rocks formed by it are the most important factors controlling the lithium concentrations in the study area, and temperature is also an important factor affecting the lithium concentrations. The research results are of great significance to the study of the enrichment mechanism of lithium in geothermal waters and the formation mechanism of geothermal waters in similar areas around the world.

Keywords

• hydrogeochemistry
• carbonatite
• paleo-seawater
• granite
• lithium concentration