minerals Article The Lotsberg Salt Formation in Central Alberta (Canada)—Petrology, Geochemistry, and Fluid Inclusions Tomasz Toboła 1,* and Piotr Kukiałka 2 1 Faculty of Geology, Geophysics and Environmental Protection, AGH UST, University of Science and Technology, 30 Mickiewicz Av., 30-059 Krakow, Poland 2 Kukiałka Consulting Ltd., Calgary, AB T3E 5B9, Canada;
[email protected] * Correspondence:
[email protected] Received: 5 August 2020; Accepted: 29 September 2020; Published: 30 September 2020 Abstract: The Lotsberg Salt Formation (LSF) of the Lower Devonian age occupies a large area in Alberta (Canada). It has been used for brine production, disposal, and storage purposes since the 1950s. Its petrological and geochemical features remain poorly understood up to now. Previous studies showed that these salt rocks are large crystalline and distinguishable by a very low bromine content (2–5 ppm). Our studies reveal that the main impurity is dolomite with an addition of haematite. It showed, also, a lack of sulphate minerals (anhydrite). Manganite also occurs within the halite crystals. Microthermometric measurements of primary fluid inclusions in halite show a large range of homogenization temperatures from 32.4 ◦C to 357.0 ◦C with the highest temperature in the upper part of the salt profile. Geochemical analysis confirms the low bromine contents, which is between 0.67–12.74 ppm. Potassium contents (166–3651 ppm) seem to be in the normal range for salt rocks, but magnesium content (25–177 ppm) is much lower than potassium. Rubidium is, as well, within the normal range, with values between <0.01 ppm and 3.13 ppm, while caesium contents (5.07–211.22 ppm) are almost sixty times higher in comparison to those of rubidium.