Author(s)

Bent T. Hansen^1*, Klaus Wemmer¹, Monique Eckhardt¹, Prinya Putthapiban², San Assavapatchara³

¹Geoscience Center Gottingen, University of Gottingen, Gottingen, Germany.
²Geoscience Programme, Kanchanaburi Campus, Mahidol University, Kanchanaburi, Thailand.
³Department of Mineral Resources, Bureau of Geological Survey, Bangkok, Thailand.

Bamnet Narong is located in northeastern Thailand (Chaiyaphum Province). It is the largest salt mine in the country and has been mined for decades. The landscape in this part of Thailand is characterised by a low plateau, which is called the Khorat Plateau. The plateau is divided into two basins by the Phu Phan Range, the Sakhon Nakhon Basin in the north and the Khorat Basin in the south. The analysed potashes and rock salts are deposited in the Maha Sarakham Formation, which represents the salt-bearing strata of the Khorat Basin. The stratigraphic age of this deposit has been debated since the late 1960’s. The assigned ages range from Mid-Cretaceous to Late Cretaceous and up to the Eocene. In this study different isotopic dating systems (Rb-Sr, Sr-Sr, K-Ar and K-Ca) were applied. The stratigraphic age for the time of deposition was confirmed to be Mid Cretaceous (Cenomanian). Furthermore, the homogeneity of the carnallites was investigated in order to trace a possible redistribution of rubidium.

Isotope Dating, Salt Deposits, Mid-Cretaceous, Asian Potash Mine, Thailand

Hansen, B. , Wemmer, K. , Eckhardt, M. , Putthapiban, P. and Assavapatchara, S. (2016) Isotope Dating of the Potash and Rock Salt Deposit at Bamnet Narong, NE-Thailand. Open Journal of Geology, 6, 875-894. doi: 10.4236/ojg.2016.68067.