Death Valley

<STRONG> <P> Composition </STRONG>

<STRONG> <P> Known or probable occurrence </STRONG>

<P> Halite

<P> NaCl

<P> Principal constituent of chloride zone and of salt-impregnated sulfate and carbonate deposits.

<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY"> Sylvite

<P> KCl

<P> With halite.

<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY"> Nahcolite

<P> NaHCO₃

<P> Not yet identified; might be found in wintertime as efflorescence or trona or thermonatrite in carbonate zone in Cottonball Basin.

<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY"> Trona

<P> Na₃H(CO₃)₂2H₂O

<P> Carbonate zone of Cottonball Basin, especially in marshes.

<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY"> Thermonatrite

<P> Na₂CO₃·H₂O

<P> Questionably present on floodplain in Badwater Basin, would be expected in marshes of carbonate zone in Cottonball Basin.

<P> Natron

<P> Na₂CO₃·10H₂O

<P> Not yet identified but may be expected, especially In winter, immediately following rains or periods of high discharge at marshes in carbonate zone in Cottonball Basin.

<P> Pirssonite

<P> Na₂Ca(CO₃)2·2H₂O

<P> Not yet identified, may be expected in environments where gaylussite would be dehydrated.

<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY"> Gaylussite

<P> Na₂Ca(CO₃)2·5H₂O

<P> Carbonate zone and floodplain in Badwater Basin.

<P> Calcite

<P> CaCO₃

<P> Occurs as clastic grains in sediments underlying salt pan and as sharply terminated crystals in clay fraction of carbonate zone and in sediments underlying sulfate zone.

<P> Magnesite

<P> MgCO₃

<P> Obtained in artificially evaporated brines from Death Valley; not yet identified in salt pan; may be expected in carbonate zone of Cottonball Basin.

<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY"> Dolomite

<P> CaMg(CO₃)2

<P> identified only as a detrital mineral; may be expected in carbonate zone.

<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY"> Northupite </P> <P ALIGN="JUSTIFY"> and/or </P> <P ALIGN="JUSTIFY"> Tychite

<P> Na₃MgCl(CO₃) </P> <P> </P> <P> Na₆Mg₂(SO₄)·(CO₃)₄

<P> An isotropic mineral, having index of refraction in the range of Northupite and Tychite, has been observed in saline facies of sulfate zone in Cottonball Basin.

<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY"> Burkeite

<P> Na₆(CO₃)(SO₄)₂

<P> Sulfate zone in Cottonball Basin.

<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY"> Thenardite

<P> Na₂S0₄

<P> Common in all zones in Cottonball Basin and in sulfate marshes in Middle and Badwater basins.

<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY"> Mirabilite

<P> Na₂S0₄·10H₂O

<P> Occurs on floodplains in Cottonball Basin immediately following winter storms.

<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY"> Glauberite

<P> Na₂Ca(SO₄)₂

<P> Common on floodplains except in central part of Badwater Basin; sulfate zone in Cottonball Basin.

<P> Anhydrite

<P> CaSO₄

<P> As layer capping massive gypsum I mile north of Badwater. Possibly also as dry-period efflorescence on floodplains.

<P> Bassanite

<P> 2CaSO₄·H₂O

<P> As layer capping massive gypsum along west side of Badwater Basin and as dry-period efflorescence in floodplains.

<P> Gypsum

<P> CaS0₄·2H₂O

<P> In sulfate caliche, layer in carbonate zone, particularly in Middle and Badwater basins, in sulfate marshes and as massive deposits in sulfate zone.

<P> Hexahydrite

<P> MgS0₄·6H₂O

<P> Not yet identified but might he expected as dehydration product of epsomite in chloride zone on floodplains.

<P> Epsomite

<P> MgS0₄·7H₂O

<P> Not yet identified; probably will he found as efflorescence on floodplains following storms or floods would dehydrate to hexahydrite during dry periods.

<P> Bloedite

<P> Na₂Mg(SO₄)₂·4H₂O

<P> Questionably present in efflorescence on floodplain in chloride zone.

<P> Polyhalite

<P> K₂Ca2Mg(SO₄)₄·2H₂O

<P> Questionably present on floodplain in chloride zone.

<P> Barite

<P> BaS0₄

<P> Not yet identified but probably will be found in carbonate zone and as clastic grains in sediments underlying salt pan.

<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY"> Celestite

<P> SrSO₄

<P> Found with massive gypsum.

<P> Schairerite

<P> Na₃(SO₄)(F,Cl)

<P> Not yet identified, might he expected in Cottonball Basin or east side of Middle Basin.

<P> Sulfohalite

<P> Na₆ClF(SO₄)₂

<P> Not yet identified, might he expected in Cottonball Basin or east side of Middle Basin.

<P> Kernite

<P> Na₂B₄O₇·5H₂O

<P> Possibly present in Middle Basin in surface layer of layered sulfate and chloride salts.

<P> Tincalconite

<P> Na₂B₄O₇·10H₂O

<P> Probably occurs as dehydration product of borax.

<P> Borax

<P> Na₂Mg(SO₄)₂·4H₂O

<P> Floodplains and marshes in Cottonball Basin.

<P> Inyoite

<P> Ca₂B₆O₁₁·13H₂O

<P> Questionably present (X-ray determination but unsatisfactory) in floodplain in Badwater Basin.

<P> Meyerhofferite

<P> Ca₂B₆O₁₁·7H₂O

<P> Found in all zones in Badwater Basin and in rough silty rock salt in Cottonball Basin

<P> Colemanite

<P> Ca₂B₆O₁₁·5H₂O

<P> Questionably present (X-ray determination but unsatisfactory) in floodplain in Badwater Basin.

<P> Ulexite

<P> NaCaB₅O₉·8H₂O

<P> Common in floodplain in Cottonball Basin; known as "cottonball"

<P> Proberite

<P> NaCaB₅O₉·5H₂O

<P> A fibrous borate with index of refraction higher than ulexite occurs on dry areas in Cottonball Basin following hot dry spells and in surface layer of smooth silty rock salt.

<P> Soda niter

<P> NaNO₃

<P> Weak, but positive chemical tests obtained locally.