Regional Distribution and Prospects of Potash in China

Abstract:China was formed by amalgamation of several small continental blocks (cratons), micro, blocks and orogenic belts in different paleoclimatic settings. It may be correlated with other continental blocks but has its own specific characteristics; therefore the tectonic environments of China's marine and continental saline basins and salt, and potash, forming environment have some specific characteristics: multiple phases of salt formation, difference in salt, forming ages, migration and concentration of salt, forming processes and diversity of component materials, as well as small sizes of marine saline basins and great changes of saline basins in the late stage and occurrence of abundant liquid mineral resources. The nature of the tectonic basement exerted a key controlling effect on the formation of potash basins. The stable tectonic region was favorable for potash concentration in a quasi, stable region, and quasi, and the quasi‐stable region was favorable for salt concentration and potash formation in a local stable tectonic region. Most China's major ancient saline basins occur in “quasi, cratons (continental block)”; especially all the marine saline basins occur in continental blocks with the Precambrian basement. These regions are the key ones for potash search. Most relatively large, scale soluble salt deposits are developed in relatively stable continental nuclei. According to the characteristics of the tectonic domains where China's salt, forming basins are located, the North China, Yangtze and Tarim, Qaidam salt minerogenetic domains and the northern Qiangtang, western Yunnan salt minerogenetic belt may be distinguished. Their salt and potash prospects will be discussed separately.