Evaporation of Seawater: Calculated Mineral Sequences

Abstract
Van't Hoff's predictions of the mineral sequences to be expected on the evaporation of seawater are based on an oversimplified system. New computer calculation that include calcium-bearing phases are in better agreement with natural occurrences, removing discrepancies that have plagued evaporite geologists for nearly a century. A new hydrologic model that combines equilibrium batch evaporation with fractionation between successive batches is proposed to account for the mineral sequences observed in such classic deposits as the German Zechstein.