柴达木盆地盐湖锂资源占我国卤水锂资源总量的80%,主要集中分布在别勒滩、一里平、东台吉乃尔和西台吉乃尔等四个盐湖.1980s之前对其形成的认识见解各异.针对研究现状,侧重区内卤水锂矿床成因的研究结果显示:所有地表卤水中Li^+含量的高低受控于汇入河水的Li^+含量,同时又与相关地下卤水的Li^+含量全部呈正相关.这充分说明卤水锂矿床的形成与否受河源主控由来已久.按实测洪水河-那陵格勒河水径流量及其Li^+含量推算,经蒸发浓集作用形成别勒滩等四盐湖已探明的锂资源量只需数千年.洪水河流域的热泉水与新生代火山活动及昆南深断裂有关,很可能是盐湖卤水锂矿床的主要物质来源.水系下游河道的变迁决定了锂资源量在四盐湖中的比例分配.
Salt lake lithium in Qaidam Basin takes 80% brine lithium resource of China,mainly distributed in four salt lakes of Bieletan,Yiliping,Dongtaijinaier,and Xitaijinaier.This paper studied the lithium minerogenesis causes because there were many discrepancies on the issue before the 1980s.The results show that content Li^+ in surface brine is controlled by Li^+ in inflows and is positively related to Li^+ in underground water.Based on calculations on monitoring water discharge and estimating Li^+ contents in Hongshui and Nalinggele Rivers,it was lasted about server thousand years when the four salt lakes experienced strong evaporation and caused lithium concentrated.Hongshui River inflow sourced from hot springs associated with Cenozoic volcanic activities along the Kunnan deep fault,which is the brine lithium source possibly.Lithium resource and distribution in the four salt lakes depended on the changes in the water system.