Resumen de The exploration of sodium-sulphate in Aran playa, Kashan, central Iran

Mahmoud Khalili, Hosein Torabi

• The Aran playa, in central Iran, is characterized as a potential area for salts discoveries particularly sodium-sulphate. On the base of mineralogical and geochemical investigations, the evolution paths of evaporite sequence in the study area are illustrated by gypsum-glauberite-mirabilite-thenardite. Furthermore, geomorphological features as well as field studies show that southern margins of playa have potential for further salt discovery.

  As to the origin of sodium-sulphate and halite, it is possible that weathering and leaching of evaporite units of Qom Formation and Eocene volcanic rocks are the primary sources of essential components of these salts.