Abstract
Geological situations of main sepiolite deposits in sedimentary basins in Turkey, Spain, Nevada, USA, and Hunan-Jianxi, China, were reviewed.
Although the deposit in China is found in lower Permian sedimentary basin, other deposits are in Tbrtiary or Quaternary series. Sepiolite in these basins was believed to be generated in palustine, shallow lacustrine or playa, which were formed during the last part of drying Process of Mg-rich and high pH lakesor seas.
Sepiolite seams were observed in transition range between carbonates sediments and tuff, arkoses, or volcanic ash regions, from which Si was supplied. A structure of silica in condensed aqueous environments at the transition range would be one of the key points of sepiolite genesis.
