Quantitative Analysis and Significance of the Marine Potash Deposits in the World

Key words: 
• potash /
• marine origin /
• resource potential /
• basin /
• characteristic parameters

Abstract: Based on the information of potash deposits in the world, we analyzed the characteristics of importance of 26 marine origin potash deposits and found out potash characteristic parameters in marine origin. According to the information, we can draw a conclusion that the ratio of deposit area and basin area is 4.47%, the ratio of resource potential and deposit area is 1.616×106t/km2, the ratio of resource potential and basin area is 0.045×106t/km2 and the ratio of maximum thickness of potash and salt is 7.2%. Based on the sorts of structures, the basins located in comparative active zones are the most abundant potash resources distributed. Such as continental shelves, depression basins between continental edges and fold zones. Their ratio of deposit area and basin area is 6.87%, the ratio of resource quantity and deposit area is 5.068×106t/km2, the ratio of resource potential and basin area is 0.063×106t/km2 and the ratio of maximum thickness of potash and salt is 12.27%. Meanwhile, paper discussed the significance of marine origin potash deposit. It is helpful to research the factors of potash deposits forming and for us to forecast the resource potential of unfound potash deposits in the paleomarine basins in China. 