Utah Geological and Mineralogical Survey Special Studies 30 UNIVERSITY of UTAH James C

SUBSURFACE BRINES AND SOLUBLE SALTS OF SUBSURFACE SEDIMENTS, SEVIER LAI(E, MILLARD COUNTY, UTA'H

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Utah Geological and Mineralogical Survey Special Studies 30 UNIVERSITY OF UTAH James C. Fletcher, President INSTITUTIONAL COUNCIL

Edward W. Clyde • Chairman Joseph E. Bernolfo, Jr .. Vice Chairman Burtis R. Evans . Alumni President Linn C. Baker Member Re ed W. Brinton . • • • Member Robert H. Hinckley . • • • • Member Fullmer H. Latter • . Member Calvin W. Rawlings . Member (Mrs.) David Watkiss . Member

UTAH GEOLOGICAL AND MINERALOGICAL SURVEY William P. Hewitt, Director

ADVISORY BOARD

John M. Ehrhorn, Chairman. . • • • U . S. Smelting, Refining, & Mining Co. Graham S. Campbell. . • • . Intermountain As sociation of Geologists LaVaun Cox .• Utah Petroleum Council John K. Hayes . . • . U • S. Steel Corporation Lehi F. Hintz e . • • . Brigham Young University Lowell S. Hilpert • U . S. Geological Survey Ezra C. Knowlton • Utah Sand & Gravel Products Corporation Kurt O. Linn . • • . Texas Gulf Sulphur Corporation James D. Moore. • The Anaconda Company W.J. O'Connor, Sr. Independent Coal and Coke Company Howard Peterson Utah State University Paul S. Rattle. • • Utah Mining As sociation Joe B. Rosenbaum. U • 8'. Bureau of Mines Raymond T. Senior. . • • • Attorney William L. Stoke s . University of Utah Alvin J. Thuli, Jr •. Kennecott Copper Corporation J. Stewart Williams • Utah State University

William P. Hewitt. Director, U. G • M • S ., Ex-officio Member George R. Hill . • Dean, College of Mines, Ex-officio Member by I.A. Whelan

~o Provo

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, SEVIER DRY tAKE

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SCALE OF HileS

SPECIAL STUDIES 30 • PRICE $1.00 • AUGUST 1969 CONTENTS

Page Abstract 5

Introduction. . . 5

Geography 6

Procedure. 9

Results. . 9

Dis cus s ion and Concl us ions. 11

References Cited 13

ILLUSTRATIONS

Cover Index map to study area.

Frontis piece Aerial mosaic of Sevier Dry Lake showing location of Utah

Geol. and Mineralog. Survey drill holes I August 1966.

Table 1. Climatic summary, Black Rock I Utah...... 6 2. Composition of subsurface brines, Sevier Lake drill

holes (drilled by Utah Geol. and Mineralog. Survey I August 1966) ...... 7 3. Composition of soluble salts of sediments .... 8 4. Average composition of brines...... 9 5. Composition of dissolved salts ...... 10 6. Averaged composition of dissolved salts by drill hole 11

3 SUBSURFACE BRINES AND SOLUBLE SALTS OF SUBSURFACE SEDIMENTS, SEVIER LAI(E, MILLARD COUNTY, UTAH

by J. A. Whelan 1

ABSTRACT

Three shallow holes were drilled by the Utah Geological and Mineralogical Survey on the west side of Sevier Lake in August 1966. Brines with slightly under 200 grams per liter dissolved solids were encountered. The brines contain relatively more sulfate and lithium and relatively less chlorine, magnesium, and bromine than oceanic brines. The calcium and sulfate content of the brines increases toward the center of the lake in the north-south direction.

The sediments contained an average of about 12 percent soluble salts, but the calci um content of the soluble salts is much higher, the sulfate content slightly high er, and the sodium, chloride, lithium, and bromine content lower than the dis solved salts of the coexisting brines. The lithium and bromine content of the soluble salts in the sediments is so low as to be negligible. The subsurface brines represent a possible exploitable saline deposit, but additional studies are needed to determine quality and reserves.

INTRODUCTION

Sevier Lake (frontispiece) in Millard County often is dry. At such times, the lake bed is covered by a thin saline layer, which in more moist seasons partially re dissolves. The basin, which has a minimum elevation of about 4,520 feet, re ceives most of its drainage locally. Clarke (1924, p. 159) indicates that the lake has become essentially a dry lake because of irrigation; the Sevier River has drained into Sevier Lake but twice in the past 48 years.1/

Saline deposits cover approximately 50 square miles of the basin, and enough saline contamination to affect vegetation is apparent over an additional 11 7 square miles. Only limited data on the brines and saline deposits of Sevier Lake have been pub lished (Clarke, 1924, p. 158 and 235). As part of its continuing study of saline resources, the Utah Geological and Mineralogical Survey in 1966 drilled three shallow holes, 20 to 50 feet deep, along the western margin of the lake and sam-

1. Professor of mineralogy, Univ. of Utah; research geologist, Utah Geol. and Min eralog. Survey. 2. Unofficial obs ervations of W. C. Cole (personal communication to Ted Arnow, district chief, Water Resources Division, USGS, Salt Lake City, Utah) are that since 1920, Sevier River has drained into Sevier Lake twice: in 1922, Sevier Lake received considerable water and in 1948,. (?), it received a slight amount.

5 pled subsurface brines. Analytical data on these brines and on the soluble salts of the sediments, together with some comparative data on other brines and inter pretive data, are presented here. GEOGRAPHY

Sevier Lake is bordered on the north by U. S. Highway 6-50, and on the south and west by gravel and dirt roads. Delta, Utah, is approximately 38 miles east of the lake and Ely, Nevada, about 113 miles west of it. Utah Highway 21, be tween Milford, Utah, and Ely, lies about 20 miles south of the south end of the lake.

The nearest railroad is the Union Pacific at Delta. Supplies and labor are available in the same town. The closest power line, a Utah Power and Light Co. 12,400 volt, three-wire system, runs along Highway 6-50 immediately north of the lake.

Climatic data from Black Rock, Utah, the closest reporting station I are given in Table 1.

Table 1. Climatic summary, Black Rock, Utah. 1

Length of Record 25 years

Temperature (0 F) January average 25.2 July average 72.2 Maximum 106.0 Minimum -33.0

Average PreCipitation (inches) January 0.60 February 0.78 March 0.96 April 0.96 May 0.91 June 0.35 July 0.63 August 0.61 September 0.72 October 1.01 November 0.64 December 0.51 Annual 8.68

1. From Climate and Man, U. S. Agricultural Department Yearbook, 1941 , p. 1148.

6 Table 2. Composition of subsurface brines, Sevier Lake drill holes (drilled by Utah Ceol. and Mineralog. Survey, August 1966).

ppm Lab l-t Gm/Liter 4-1 Q) ...c: 0 -;o~ 4-1 0.. CI) CI) l-t ...c: S "'d -.-I Q) 4-1 Q) ;:::s ~~ 0.. S 0 Q~ Q) -.-I ;:::s ;::I ~:!:: Q) - CI) -.-I Q) 0 ...... :1 Q) l-t l-t 4-1 Q) Q) Q) ~ S Q) Q) Q) ;:::s CI) S Cf.lrtl""-...... Q) ...c: ..... 010 ..... Q) -.-I S 4-1 ~ .-t l-t -.-I ;:::s CI) ;:::s o....Q ..Q 4-I..Q o..!!::!. ~ rtl -.-I ..... ~ S Q) Q)~ 0 bl -.-I rtl 4-1 -s 4-1 ..Q S o..rtl ..... oS ...c: 2..:(!0 S S Q)E-! ..... S rtl "'d 0 4-1 0 rtl ;:::s rtl rtl ;:::s 0 - ...c: rtl 0 l-t -.-I () rtl 0 '"5 0 Cf.lZ Q ....:IZ Q :r:: Cf.l () ~ () Cf.l A.. Cf.l o:l ....:I Cf.l 0 E-I

.....:J 8Bl-35 23 1705 3 35 4 74.76 2.15 .60 78.5 2.48 30.0 46.7 25.0 1.109 26.0 188.49 8Bl-48 23 170"6 3 48 4 64.08 1.45 .64 53.5 2.81 19.3 41.4 21.0 1.080 26.0 141. 79

8B2-10 24 1707 2 10 3 81. 88 2.75 .68 79.0 1. 98 20.78 50.7 27.0 1.098 26.0 187.07 8B2-20 24 1708 2 20 3 92.56 2.50 .76 64.0 1. 98 20.87 41.4 27.0 1.109 25.5 182.67 8B2-30 24 1709 2 30 3 89.00 2.65 .76 63.5 2.23 20.78 45.4 25.0 1.109 25.0 178.92 8B2-40 24 1710 2 40 3 86.44 2.60 .71 61.0 2.23 20.87 48.0 28.0 1.110 25.0 173.85 8B2-50 24 1711 2 50 3 81. 88 2.65 .72 61.5 1.98 20.78 34.7 28.0 1.106 25.0 169.51

8B3-10 25 1712 4 10 5 106.80 1.95 .94 75.5 2.64 13.71 64.0 34.0 1.177 24.5 202.54 8B3-20 25 1713 4 20 5 110.36 2.00 .94 76.5 2.64 14.65 69.4 36.0 1.127 24.5 207.09

-- _ .. _-- 1. August 1966. Table 3. Composition of soluble salts .of sediments.

Gm Soluble Ion in 50 Gm Sediment

til ~ ..r:: Q) .0 ~ ~ 0. ..-I (j) 8 :0 8 til ~ 8 o Q .r-! ~ 01 U).=:: (j) ~ !-< til .r-! (j) o (j) !-< (j) s:: 8 (j) U)O ..-I (j) (j) .r-! (j) ~ 8 til 8 Lt) tlrJj ..-I ..-I !-< .r-! ~ .0 s:: ~ til .s 8 ..-I Q) 0..0 (j) 0. .~ 8 o 01 o .r-! ro 80. ro ~ .0 ..-I ..-I .f8 ..r::o. s:: o 8 8 8 8 ro '"0 ~ ..-I 00. ~ .r-! !-< ro ~ ro ro ~ ro ..r:: ro o o ~ !-< !:: 0. o Q) U)Z Q HZ U) o ~ o U) P.. U) c:o H H P.. SSl- 1 23 1616 1.0 1. 67 .110 .114 1. 020 .094 .712 .2 1.35 3.70 7.40 SSl- 5 23 1617 5.0 .85 .096 .025 .560 .095 .333 .2 1. 00 1.459 2.918 SSl-302 23 1618 30.0 3.03 .112 .570 1. 090 .172 2.790 .2 1. 85 7.764 15.528 SSl-482 23 1619 48.0 2.67 .072 .545 1.840 .166 3.060 .2 1. 70 8.353 16.706

00 SS2- 1 24 1620 1.0 .93 .072 .012 .600 .048 .300 .2 1. 00 1.962 3.924 SS2- 5 24 1621 5.0 3.56 .096 .785 2.560 .118 2.490 .2 1. 75 9.609 19.218 SS2-10 24 1622 10.0 3.35 .098 .740 2.350 .118 3.130 .2 1. 60 9.786 19.572 SS2-20 24 1623 20.0 1.71 .022 .070 1. 060 .086 .757 .2 1.55 3.705 7.410 SS2-30 24 1624 30.0 1. 67 .096 .560 1.220 .070 2.370 .2 1. 55 5.986 11.972 8S2-40 24 1625 40.0 1.42 .072 .795 1.240 .100 2.100 .2 1.55 5.727 11. 454 SS2-502 24 1626 50.0 1.50 .036 .013 1. 020 .062 .370 .2 1.55 3.001 6.002

SS3.- 1 25 1627 1.0 5.06 .014 .670 3.240 .176 1. 720 .2 3.00 10.880 21. 760 SS3- 5 25 1628 5.0 4.73 .016 .670 2.980 .148 2.290 .2 2.80 10.834 21. 668 SS3-10 25 1629 10.0 3.10 .008 .085 9.720 34 .100 .510 .2 1. 60 4.775 9.550 SS3-20 25 1630 20.0 1. 85 .004 .067 6.080 .072 .329 .2 1. 80 2.930 5.860

1. August 1966. 2. May be contaminated. 3. In averages calculated as 0.972. 4. In averages calculated as 0.608. Table 4. Average composition of brines.

N M 4 Q) § Q) § Sevier Lake ~ -.-t...--.. ~-.-t...--.. co+-'tO co+-'tO .....:It)tO .....:It)tO Lf) +-,o....CTl +-,o....CTl Q) ...--I ..--! ...--I ..--! 0 ..--! -0 0 co ~ co ~ Q)J9 -.-t Cf.l 1-0 .. Cf.l 1-0 .. Q) !>t Q) !>t tJ)1-o ..--! N M ~ +-'.c:co -i-J.c: co co ;:::l co 1-0 til Q) Q) Q) Q) ~;;~ ~t:~ Q),.Q ...--I ...--I ...--I ~ 0 1-00- 0 0 0 0 1-00- :> ;:::l 1-1 0 0Cf.l 0Z r<:I!Cf.l ::r: ::r: ::r: ID2l Cl 19.70 134.85 177.89 87.59 69.42 86.35 108.58 Mg 1.32 7.60 12.37 2.30 1.81 2.63 1.98 Ca 0.41 0.48 0.32 0.75 0.62 0.73 0.94 Na 10.93 70.70 94.75 67.11 67.11 66.00 65.40 K 0.39 5.56 9.16 2.33 1.53 1. 48 13.74 S04 2.74 19.48 28.69 20.19 24.65 20.81 14.18

.2.I?1!! Br 65 100.5 143.3 49.1 44.0 44.0 66.7 Li 0.1 50.85 63.4 28.0 23.0 27.0 35.0

Total Solids (gpl) 35.57 238.67 313.18 180.27 165.14 178.00 204.82 Density (g/ml) 1.035 1.14 1.21 1.114 1.095 1.106 1.141

1. Calculated from various published analyses of oceanic brine. 2. Calculated from results of sampling by Utah Geol. and Mineralog. Survey. 3. Calculated from results of sampling by Utah Geol. and Mineralog. Survey, north of railroad fill. 4. Calculated from Utah Geol. and Mineralog. Survey data collected August 1966. 5. Calculated average weighted by total dissolved salt content. PROCEDURE

In August 1966, a Utah Survey team drilled three 4-inch auger holes on the west side of Sevier Lake (frontispiece). Hole no. 1 was 50 feet deep, no. 2, 48 feet deep, and no. 3, 20 feet deep. Depth to the water table was noted for each hole and subsurface brines were sampled at various depths. Soluble fractions of sediments 0 were determined by oven-drying each sample at 105 C for 48 hours I pulverizing

it to -75 mesh size I and beating 50 gm of the sample with 500 ml of distilled water for three minutes. When the pulp cleared, the brine was analyzed for so

dium I potassium, magnesium I calcium I and lithium by atomic absorption spec trophotometry. Sulfate was determined gravimetrically and chlorine and bromine volumetrically. Brines collected from the holes were analyzed by the same methods. RESULTS

Data on the subsurface brines are given in Table 2 I those on the soluble material in the sediments in Table 3. Averaged and comparative data for brines and salts are

given in Table 4 and Table 5 I respectively. 9 Table 5. Composition of dissolved salts.

N (]) (]) Sevier Lake UG & MS Drill Holes s:: --t ..... 0.. Brines Average Analysis s.... E t:Q ro +oJ (]) I r-t U) -s:: ~ If) (]) (]) ro 'OM til 0 s:: +oJ s...... i--=I 2 (]) --t +-' ro s:: (]) &i --t rot:: U) 00.. ro 5U) ...... +oJ u ~ ~ (]) ..... U) ..... s:: s...... c: til If) --t s:: +oJ ..... (]) 0'1 ro (]) 0'1 +oJ (]) ..0 ..... (J) ro :J (]) (]) '0 s.... s:: s:: ro (]) ..... --t u s.... s:: s.... 0 1- 0 CJ ::> :2 0 t:Q U)

! gLi. Cl 55.29 54.35 52.66 47.7 4.6 48.10 43.03 I Mg 3.72 3.31 3.01 1.1 - 1.27 1.40 Ca 1.20 0.14 0.12 - Trace 0.41 5.10 Na 30.59 32.23 33.33 35.8 33.1 37.57 25.07 K 1.11 2.73 - 0.3 - 1.30 2.09 S04 7.69 7.17 10.88 15.0 62.3 11.40 23.31 C03 0.21

I--' ...l2l2!!L o Br 0.19 0.04 0.03 4 x 10-6 Li 0.003(2) 0.02 0.02 4 x 10-5

Insol. 0.1 Percent sol. salts 12.06

1. Excluding lithium, a mean of 77 analyses of ocean water collected from many localities by the Challenger Expedition, W .D. Dittmar, analyst, 1884 (IIChallengerRept., II Physics and Chemistry, v. 1, p. 203, in Clarke, F . W. , 1924, The data of geochemistry: U. S. Geol. Survey Bulletin 770, p. 126-127). Salinity 3.301 to 3.737 percent. 2. Calculated by the writers from various published analyses of oceanic brines. 3. Mean southern portion of Great Salt Lake, September 1966; preliminary calculation by J.A. Whelan based on sampling by Utah Geol. and Mineralog. Survey. 4. Sample taken in 1872; analysis by Oscar Loew, 1875, U. S. Geog. Surveys W 100th Mer. Rept., v. 3, p. 114, in Clarke, F.W., 1924, Data of geochemistry: U.S. Geol.

Survey Bulletin 770 I p. 158. 5. Ionic analyses calculated from analyses presented as salts, in Clarke, F. W., 1924, Data of geochemistry: U . S. Geol. Survey Bulletin 770, p. 235; original analyses (mar gin) by o. D. Allen and (center) S.A. Lattimore, in Gilbert, G. K., 1890, U. S. Geol. Survey, Mono., v. 1, p. 224-227. Table 6. Averaged composition of dissolved salts by drill hole.

Brines 1 Soluble Salts from Sediments 1

~ N M ~ N M Ul Q) Q) Q) Q) Q) Q) r-I r-I r-I r-I r-I s:: 0 r-I 0 0 0 0 0 0 I--t ::q ::q ::q ::q ::q ::q gil Cl 42.42 48.43 53.00 39.83 38.19 54.56 Mg 1.08 1.47 0.97 2.54 1.47 0.15 Ca 0.38 0.41 0.44 4.55 5.99 4.10 Na 39.67 36.80 37.34 23.02 26.53 24.60 K 1.65 1.17 1.28 2.89 1.74 1.88 S04 14.75 11.67 6.91 27.17 26.08 14.71 C03

Jm.!"!L 6 6 6 Br .03 .03 .04 6 x 10- 3 x 10- 4 x 10- Li .02 .02 .02 4 x 10-5 4 x 10-5 4 x 10-5 .

Percent sol. salts 11.64 11.36 14.71

1. Calculated from Utah Geological and Mineralogical Survey analyses by J. A. Whelan.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

Shallow subsurface brines in the Sevier Lake Basin are saline and might possibly be utilized for the production of salt, sodium sulfate, magnesium and potassium chemicals, lithium, and bromine. The soluble salt content of the brines is about five times that of normal sea water brines, just less than brines from the portion of Great Salt Lake south of the Southern Pacific railroad fill, and about six-te~ths as concentrated as brines from the northern portion of Great Salt Lake.

The three holes drilled by the Utah Geological and Mineralogical Survey gave brines with slightly different contents of dissolved salts. Brine from hole no. 3, which was located on the long or north-south axis of the Lake, had the highest dis solved salt content. As holes no. 1 and no. 2 were deepened, the brines from them contained fewer dissolved solids. This was not true of hole no. 3, which had a total depth of only 20 feet. The fact that with the exception of those of hole no. 3, the brines became fresher as the holes were deepened may indicate they were formed by fresh groundwater percolating through clos ed -basin lake s edi ments ~ If so, brine reserves may be small. Additional drilling, especially deep drilling, is needed before the potential of the basin as a source of salines can be estimated. 11 Surface and subsurface brines of Sevier Lake have higher sulfate-to-chloride ratios than the brines of the oceans or Great Salt Lake. The sulfate-to-chloride ratio ris es in the north -south direction. Sulfate enrichment in the center of the lake was indicated by the analys es in Clarke (s ee table 4). Any plan for exploiting the brines will have to take their high sulfate content into consideration.

The magnesium content of the dissolved salts of Sevier Lake subsurface brines is lower than that of dissolved salts of the oceans or Great Salt Lake. The calcium content of the dissolved salts of these brines is slightly higher than that of dis sol ved salts of Great Salt Lake brines, but about one-third that bf dis solved salts in oceanic brines. The calcium content of dissolved salts of Sevier Lake brines increases toward the center of the lake in the north-south direction. The sodium content of dis solved salts in all three types of brines dis cus s ed are comparable. The bromine content of dissolved salts of Sevier Lake subsurface brines is com parable to that of the dissolved salts of Great Salt Lake brines, but about one sixth that of dissolved salts in oceanic brines.

The lithium content of the dis solved salts of the Sevier Lake brines is the same as that of Great Salt Lake brines, and much higher than that of oceanic brines. In igne ous rocks, the bulk of the lithium occurs as a trace element in magnesium miner als, and it follows magnesium during weathering and sedimentation (Rankama and

Sahama I 1950, p. 428). The same authors give the lithium-to-magnesium ratio of the oceans as 0.00008 and that of igneous rocks as 0.0034. The lithium-to-mag nesium ratio of 0.00157 for the dissolved salts of Sevier Lake brines is the same order of magnitude as that of igneous rocks. Closed basin brines appear to be enriched slightly, if at all, in lithium. The oceans lack this element. The similarity of lithium and bromine content of the dissolved salts of Sevier Lake and Great Salt Lake brines indicates a clos e relationship.

The sediments drilled contained an average of 12 percent soluble salts. The sulfate to-chloride ratio is slightly higher for the soluble salts from the sediments than the soluble salts from the groundwater. As with the brines, the sulfate-to-chlo ride ratio increases markedly toward the center of the basin in the north-south direction. The calcium content of the soluble salts of the sediments is over 10 times that of the soluble salts of the brines.

Unfortunately I the mineralogy I size distribution I porosity I permeability I etc. I of the sediments were not studied. Such studies should be conducted from future drill ing. Data relative to the mineralogy of the soluble salts and the permeability of the sediments would be of particular interest.

Predictably I the sodium content of the soluble salts of the sediments decreases as the calcium content increas es. The low lithium and bromine content of the solu ble salts of the sediments as compared with the dissolved salts of the coexist ing subsurface brines is noteworthy. Rankama and Sahama (1950, p. 766) noted that bromine is concentrated in residual brines. The foregOing is in accord with that statement.

12 Both the soluble salts of the sediments and the subsurface brines of each hole had individual characteristics. The effect of the soluble salts of the sediments on the subsurface brines, if the brines were being pumped, is not known. However, it is assumed the magnesium, sulfate, calcium, and potash content of the pumped brines would increas e during production, and the sodium, chlorine, lithium, and bromine content would decrease--both effects due to solution of the salts in sediments.

Preliminary statistical studies of the analytical data from individual holes and from the entire lake indicate that when larger samples are a va i lab le, statistical studies will provide useful information. Several lines of holes should be drilled acros s the lake in the east-west direction to furnish more complete data on vari ation of brine and soluble salt composition and contents with location.

REFERENCES CITED

Clarke, F. W., 1924 I The data of geochemistry: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 770, p ~ 126-127, 158-159, and 235.

Rankama, K., and Sahama, Th. G., 1950, Geochemistry: Univ. of Chicago Press, p. 428 and 776.

United States Dept. of Agriculture I 1941, Climate and man: Agricultural Department

Yearbook, Washington I D. C. I 1148.

13 UTAH GEOLOGICAL AND MINERALOGICAL SURVEY

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THE UTAH GEOLOGICAL AND MINERALOGICAL SURVEY since 1949 has been affiliated with the College of Mines and Mineral Industries at the University of Utah. It operates under a director with the advice and counsel of an Advisory Board appointed by the Board of Regents of the University of Utah from organizations and categories specified by law.

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