Sr, S, and O Isotope Compositions of Evaporites in the Lanping-Simao Basin, China

Evaporites are widely distributed within continental "red beds" in the Lanping-Simao Basin, west Yunnan, China. Sr (Strontium), S (Sulfur), and O (Oxygen) isotope compositions have been measured on 54 sulfate or/and sulfate-bearing samples collected from Lanping, Nuodeng, Jinggu, Mengyejing, Baozang throughout the Lanping-Simao Basin. The Sr-87/Sr-86 ratios of all samples (0.708081 to 0.710049) are higher than those of contemporaneous seawater, indicating a significant continental contribution to the drainage basin. Sulfates in the Lanping Basin have higher Sr-87/Sr-86 ratios (0.709406 to 0.710049) than those (0.708081 to 0.709548) in the Simao Basin. Nevertheless, the delta S-34 values of gypsums (13.4 parts per thousand to 17.6 parts per thousand) in Lanping and Baozang fall within the range of Cretaceous seawater. Gypsums from a single section in Baozang have trends of decreasing delta S-34 values and increasing Sr-87/Sr-86 ratios from base to top, indicating continental input played an increasingly significant role with the evaporation of brines. High delta S-34 values (20.5 parts per thousand to 20.7 parts per thousand) of celestites in Lanping are probably caused by bacterial sulfate reduction (BSR) process in which S-34 were enriched in residual sulfates and/or recycling of Triassic evaporites. The reduced delta S-34 values of gypsums (9.5 parts per thousand to 10.4 parts per thousand) in Nuodeng could have been caused by oxidation of sulfides weathered from Jinding Pb-Zn deposit. The complex O isotope compositions indicate that sulfates in the Lanping-Simao Basin had undergone sulfate reduction, re-oxidation, reservoir effects, etc. In conclusion, the formation of continental evaporites was likely derived from seawater due to marine transgression during the Cretaceous period. Meanwhile, non-marine inflows have contributed to the basin significantly.