蒸発岩型ホウ素鉱床の同位体地球化学

抄録

Evaporite borates are the largest industrial source of boron in the world. The major productions come from the Neogene lacustrine borate deposits in western Turkey and California, USA. The formation of large borate deposits is closely related to 1) magmatic processes to form volcanic rocks enriched in boron, 2) leaching of boron from rocks by hydrothermal activity, and 3) evaporation of playa lakes in a dry climate. Boron isotope could be a useful tool to identify the origin of boron and to constrain the physicochemical conditions (e.g., pH) during borate precipitation. This article reviews the studies on boron isotope geochemistry of borate deposits. The future possibility of lithium production from borate deposits is also presented.