by michael p. pantea and siqrid asher-bolinder

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

LITHOLOGIC LOG AND LITHIUM CONTENT OF SEDIMENTS DRILLED IN

CLAYTON VALLEY, ESMERALDA COUNTY, NEVADA

By

Michael P. Pantea and Siqrid Asher-Bolinder

OPEN-FILE REPORT 82-415

1982

This report is preliminary and has not been edited or reviewed for conformity with U.S. Geoloqical Survey standards

INTRODUCTION

This report presents lithologic and lithium loqs of core drilled in

Clayton Valley, Nevada. Drilling was done to collect base data from a known

lithium-rich area, and to compare these data with other areas drilled.

Drilling was performed in October and November of 1977, under terms of an

interagency cooperative agreement with the Division of Energy Storage Systems

and the Division of Uranium Resources and Enrichment of the U.S. Department of

Energy. Chemical analyses performed by the U.S. Geological Survey in Denver,

Colorado, are designated as "labs" in this text. Analyses in the field

performed by the U.S. Geological Survey are designated as "field" in this

text.

Clayton Valley is a closed basin within the Basin and Range physiographic

province. It is bounded by Clayton Ridge and the Montezuma Range to the east,

Palmetto Mountains and Silver Peak Range to the south, Silver Peak Range to

the west, and Big Smokey Valley, Alkali Flat, Paymaster Ridge and the Weepah

Hills to the north (fig. 1). A playa in the northern part of the valley

occupies about 40 mi^. It is the lowest point topographically of a series of

playa filled valleys consisting of Alkali Flat (Valley), Rig Smokey Valley,

Fish Lake Valley, Mudlake, and Stonewall Flat. These surrounding valleys

probably contribute ground water to Clayton Valley (Rush and others, 1971),

which may be a reason for the anomalous amounts of lithium in the sediments

and brines. Of these valleys, Alkali Flat has the highest lithium values in

sediments (Pantea and others, 1981), whereas Big Smokey Valley and Fish Lake

Valley have the highest lithium values in water (Asher-Bolinder and others, 1980).

Seven drill sites were chosen in the northern part of Clayton Valley.

The holes are outside of the playa with the exception of CV-4 and CV-5A, which

are in the playa as shown on figure 1.

CV-1 is on the northeastern periphery of the playa at lat. 37°47' N.,

long. 117°35' W., and penetrated 395 feet. The sediments penetrated were sand

and gravel with some beds of limestone and mud (fig. 2). Lithium in sediments

ranged from 33 parts per million (ppm) to 310 ppm averaging 100.7 ppm for 10

samples analyzed. Lithium in ground water ranged from 32 ppm to 60 ppm

averaging 37.7 for 7 samples analyzed by labs, and from 23 ppm to 60 ppm

averaging 35 ppm for 8 samples analyzed in the field.

1

38"OO'

IT2 Hi

Figure 1. Index map of a part of Esmeralda County, Nevada, showing locations of

drill sites. Reduction from U.S. Geological Survey, Goldfield (1954) quadrangle,

scale 1:250,000.

SEDIMENTS

u-

20-

UU _

ou -DU

100 -

120-

J.4U

ten

180-

200-

220-

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CALCAREOUS

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LIMESTONE

MUD

SAND

NO DATA

INN

Figure 2.--Lithologic log in feet, and lithium concentration logs in

parts per million for sediments and ground water in CV-1«

CV-2 is on the northeastern periphery of the playa at lat. 37°48' N.

long. 117°35' W., and penetrated 395 feet. Sediments encountered were sand

and sandy clay with some beds of mud, limestone, and tuff (fig. 3). Lithium

values in sediments ranged from 34 ppm to 930 ppm averaging 209.4 ppm for 76

samples analyzed. Lithium values in ground water ranged from 28 ppm to 55 ppm

averaging 38.6 for 9 samples analyzed by labs, and from 27 ppm to 55 ppm

averaging 35.6 for 16 samples analyzed in the field.

CV-2A is located on the north periphery of the playa at lat. 37°50' N.,

long. 117°31' W., and penetrated 275 feet. The sediments were limestone and

gravel with some beds of clay, chert, sand, or tuff (fig. 4). Lithium values

in sediments ranged from 130 ppm to 390 ppm averaging 248.5 ppm for 7 samples

analyzed. Lithium values in ground water ranged from 44 ppm to 100 ppm

averaging 67.3 ppm for 6 samples analyzed by labs, and from 38 ppm to 100 ppm

averaging 63.1 ppm for 7 samples analyzed in the field.

CV-3 is located on the northeastern periphery of the playa at lat. 37°49'

N., long. 117°30' W., and penetrated to 615 feet. Sediments encountered were

muddy clay, clay, limestone, and sand, with some beds of ash or gravel (fig. 5)

Lithium values in sediments ranged from 16 ppm to 780 ppm averaging 168.4 ppm

for 119 samples analyzed. Lithium values in ground water ranged from 41 ppm

to 91 ppm averaging 52.9 ppm for 14 samples analyzed by lab, and from 41 ppm

to 160 ppm averaging 69 ppm for 16 samples analyzed in the field.

CV-4 is located in the northern end of the playa at lat. 37°49' N., long.

117°30' W., and penetrated 795 feet. Sediments penetrated were mud and sand

with beds of limestone, clay and tuff (fig. 6). This hole also contained

some gypsum, travertine, and halite. Lithium values in sediments ranged from

39 ppm to 1840 ppm averaging 455.7 ppm for 114 samples analyzed. Lithium in

ground water ranged from 44 ppm to 190 ppm averaging 109.2 for 16 samples

analyzed by labs, and from 44 ppm to 190 ppm averaging 103 ppm for 18 samples

analyzed in the field.

CV-5 is located on the eastern periphery of the playa at lat. 37°48' N.,

long. 117°29' W., and penetrated 479 feet. Sediments encountered were sand

and gravel with some beds of clay, clayey mud, and limestone (fig. 7).

Lithium values in sediments ranged from 62 ppm to 770 ppm averaging 295.2 for

14 samples analyzed. Lithium values in ground water ranged from 24 ppm to 110

ppm averaging 69.3 for 11 samples analyzed by labs, and from 24 ppm to 110 ppm

averaging 65.75 for 12 samples analyzed in the field.

SEDIMENTS GROUND WATER Labs Field

u

20-

40-

60-

80-

100-

120-

140-

160-_

180-

200-

220--

240-

260-

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360-

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Figure 3.--Lithologic log in feet, and lithium concentration logs in parts per million for sediments and ground water in CV-2 .

SEDIMENTS

20

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80

100

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200 -

220 -

260 -

275

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Labs Field

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VOLCANIC

NO DATA

Figure 4.--Lithologic log in feet, and lithium concentration logs in parts per million for sediments and ground water in CV-2A.

SEDIMENTS GROUND WATER

Labs Field

SEDIMENTS

-HAJ

~

420 -

440 -

460 -

480 -

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540 -

560 -

580 -

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615 "

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PUMICE

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NO DATA

Figure 5.--Lithologic log in feet, and lithium concentration logs in parts per million for sediments and ground water in CV-3.

SEDIMENTS GROUND WATER Labs Field

SEDIMENTS

MUU r

420-

440 -

460-

480-

500-

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560 -

580 -

600 -

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TRAVERTINE

TUFF

NO DATA

Figure 6.--Litho1ogic log in feet, and lithium concentration log in parts per million for sediments and ground water in CV-4.

SEDIMENTS

u

20 -

40 -

60 -

80 -

100 -

120 -

140 -160 -

180 -

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220 -

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280 -

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SAND

NO DATA

Figure 7.--Lithologic log 1n feet, and lithium concentration log 1n parts per million for sediments and ground water 1n CV-5.

CV-5A is located in the eastern part of the playa, south of CV-4 at lat.

37°48' N., long. 117°30' W., and penetrated 740 feet. Sediments encountered

were clayey muds and halite with some beds of clay and sand (fiq. 8). Of the

7 holes, only CV-4 and CV-5A are within the playa. Both contain halite, but

only CV-5A contains halite as major beds of 20 feet or more. CV-5A is the

only hole that does not have a limestone bed in it. Lithium values in

sediments ranged from 160 ppm to 960 ppm averaging 397.5 for 24 samples

analyzed. Lithium in ground water ranged from 100 ppm to 390 ppm averaging

292.6 for 15 samples analyzed by labs, and from 100 ppm to 640 ppm averaging

300.9 for 17 samples analyzed in the field.

Additional analyses were performed on selected samples from CV-1, CV-2,

CV-5, and CV-5A for thorium and uranium (table 1). Field numbers are the

depths at which the samples were taken. There is no systematic relationship

between the values.

10

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=1000

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Table 1.--Analyses of selected samples from CV-1, CV-2, CV-5, and CV-5A,

Clayton Valley, Nevada

[Analysts-M. Coughlin, H. T. Millard, M. Schneider,

W. R. Stang, B. Vaughn, U.S. Geological Survey]

LAB. NO.

D-213884D-213885D-213886D-213887

CV-1 D-213888

D-213889D-213890D-213891

D-213892D-213893D-213894D-213895D-213896

CV-2D-213897D-213898D-213899D-213900D-213901D-213902

D-213930D-213931D-213932D-213933D-213934

CV-5D-213935D-213936D-213937D-213938D-213939

D-213876D-213877D-213878D-213879

CV-5A D-213880

D-213881D-213882D-213883

FIELD NO.

40115125135136

138185215

30408595105

110150170210240280

40110130145165

210230260300340

380425510575700

715720730

TH PPM

11.19.

<27.<7.6<8.5

<5.825.3<9.0

<9.0<7.6

<11.17.312.4

<9.422.313.116.116.713.7

14.<11.14.7.8

<6.4

18.719.516.28.2115.3

<8.8<10.<8.4

<13.<9.3

<6.7<8.1<7.2

U PPM

7.344.754.64.704.81

2.106.424.19

6.473.988.013.202.80

25.917.87.594.264.204.19

4.205.296.601.22.83

7.643.512.731.516.80

5.088.284.42

11.54.98

3.545.154.13

SAMPLE DESCRIPTION

Playa sedimentPlaya sedimentPlaya sedimentPlaya sedimentPlaya sediment

Playa sedimentPlaya sedimentPlaya sediment


Playa sedimentPlaya sedimentPlaya sedimentPlaya sedimentPlaya sedimentPlaya sediment




Playa sedimentPlaya sedimentPlaya sediment

12

REFERENCES

Asher-Bolinder, Sigrid, Vine, J. D., Glanzman, R. K., and Davis, J. R., 1980,

Chemistry of ground water from test holes drilled in Esmeralda and Nye

Counties, Nevada: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 80-672, 31 p.

Pantea, M. P., Asher-Bolinder, Sigrid, Vine, J. D., 1981, Lithology and

lithium content of sediments in basins surrounding Clayton Valley,

Esmeralda and Nye Counties, Nevada: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File

Report 81-962, 23 p.

Rush, F. E., Scott, B. R., Van Denburg, A. S., and Vasey, B. J., 1971, Water

resources and interbasin flows: Nevada Division of Water Resources,

State Engineers Office, map, scale 1:750,000.

13

by michael p. pantea and siqrid asher-bolinder

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