150
c. N. Wold· G. J. Schwartz· C. Morrill
GENESIS (2.0) was run for 35 years to simulate a mid-Campanian (80 Ma) climate with a high-stand of sea level. The PFM was driven by monthly-mean meteorological data from GENESIS. Wold and DeConto (in press) found that the
locations of all compiled evaporites whose age was known to be either Campanian or Senonian were correctly predicted by the PFM. However, the Late Cretaceous evaporites in northeast Thailand were not predicted by the PFM using
mean annual climate forcing from the GENESIS (2.0) simulation.
The evaporite database presented here was used to test the PFM for evaporites
and to help validate the present-day GENESIS (2.0) climate simulation. We anticipate that the digital evaporite database will also be of interest to the hydrologic community.
2
Evaporite Database
Lefond (1969) outlined the location and age of the majority of salt deposits on
Earth. He included small-scale maps showing the locations of most of these, as
well as descriptions of those not shown on his maps. Lefond (1969) also included
chemical analyses for many of the deposits. He attempted to show or mention
the location of all known solar salt production operations that existed up to
1969. Lefond (1969) was the primary source of information used to compile the
solar salt operations, included in the new database. Gordon (1975) showed general trends in the distribution of evaporites by latitude for the Phanerozoic. The
resolution of his data was limited to 10° latitudinal bands. He noted that the
present-day distribution of evaporites is centered about the subtropical highpressure zones near 30
0
N and 30 0 S. Gordon (1975) also noted that very few evaporites occur along the low-pressure equatorial zone. Cogley (1991) published a
1 ° x 1 ° global data set of hydrographic ally significant terrains. Two of Cogley's
(1991) terrains that were relative to the present compilation included SLTW (any
type of salt water) and SFLT (salt flats). SLTW included oceans, estuaries, lagoons and saline lakes on land. SFLT was any type of intermittently dry evaporite deposit on land including non-marine saline pans, saline mudflats, marginal
marine sabkhas, and salinas.
2.1
Non-Marine Evaporites
Non-marine evaporites in this compilation include saline pans and saline mudflats (Fig. IB), and saline lakes (Fig. 1 C). The largest perennial saline lakes where
evaporites are precipitating include Lake Chad in northern Africa, Lake Balkash
in Russia and the Dead Sea in Israel. A large portion of the dissolved salt in saline
lakes is often derived from the dissolution of older evaporite deposits by inflowing rivers and groundwater. Saline pans are normally dry, but occasionally become flooded. The water then evaporates and salt is deposited. Examples of two
very large saline pans include Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia and Lake Eyre in Aus-
c. N. Wold· G. J. Schwartz· C. Morrill
GENESIS (2.0) was run for 35 years to simulate a mid-Campanian (80 Ma) climate with a high-stand of sea level. The PFM was driven by monthly-mean meteorological data from GENESIS. Wold and DeConto (in press) found that the
locations of all compiled evaporites whose age was known to be either Campanian or Senonian were correctly predicted by the PFM. However, the Late Cretaceous evaporites in northeast Thailand were not predicted by the PFM using
mean annual climate forcing from the GENESIS (2.0) simulation.
The evaporite database presented here was used to test the PFM for evaporites
and to help validate the present-day GENESIS (2.0) climate simulation. We anticipate that the digital evaporite database will also be of interest to the hydrologic community.
2
Evaporite Database
Lefond (1969) outlined the location and age of the majority of salt deposits on
Earth. He included small-scale maps showing the locations of most of these, as
well as descriptions of those not shown on his maps. Lefond (1969) also included
chemical analyses for many of the deposits. He attempted to show or mention
the location of all known solar salt production operations that existed up to
1969. Lefond (1969) was the primary source of information used to compile the
solar salt operations, included in the new database. Gordon (1975) showed general trends in the distribution of evaporites by latitude for the Phanerozoic. The
resolution of his data was limited to 10° latitudinal bands. He noted that the
present-day distribution of evaporites is centered about the subtropical highpressure zones near 30
0
N and 30 0 S. Gordon (1975) also noted that very few evaporites occur along the low-pressure equatorial zone. Cogley (1991) published a
1 ° x 1 ° global data set of hydrographic ally significant terrains. Two of Cogley's
(1991) terrains that were relative to the present compilation included SLTW (any
type of salt water) and SFLT (salt flats). SLTW included oceans, estuaries, lagoons and saline lakes on land. SFLT was any type of intermittently dry evaporite deposit on land including non-marine saline pans, saline mudflats, marginal
marine sabkhas, and salinas.
2.1
Non-Marine Evaporites
Non-marine evaporites in this compilation include saline pans and saline mudflats (Fig. IB), and saline lakes (Fig. 1 C). The largest perennial saline lakes where
evaporites are precipitating include Lake Chad in northern Africa, Lake Balkash
in Russia and the Dead Sea in Israel. A large portion of the dissolved salt in saline
lakes is often derived from the dissolution of older evaporite deposits by inflowing rivers and groundwater. Saline pans are normally dry, but occasionally become flooded. The water then evaporates and salt is deposited. Examples of two
very large saline pans include Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia and Lake Eyre in Aus-