Chemistry of representative closed-basin,

saline lake waters*

1 2 3 4 5 6

Carson Sink, Nevada Bristol Lake, California Salton Sea, California Great Salt Lake, Utah Surprise Valley Lake, California Deep Springs Lake, California

silica 19 — 20.8 48 36 —

calcium 261 43,296 505 241 11 3.1

magnesium 129 1,061 581 7,200 31 1.2

sodium 56,800 57,365 6,249 83,600 4,090 111,000

potassium 3,240 3,294 112 4,070 11 19,500

bicarbonate 322 — 232 251 1,410 9,360

carbonate — — — — 664 22,000

sulfate 786 223 4,139 16,400 900 57,100

chlorine 88,900 172,933 9,033 140,000 4,110 119,000

Total 152,000 279,150 20,900 254,000 10,600 335,000

pH 7.8 7.4 9.2

*In parts per million.

Source: James I. Drever, The Geochemistry of Natural Waters, copyright 1982, Table 9-1, p. 206. Reproduced by permission of Prentice Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, N.J.