Kh. Johannesson et al., RARE-EARTH ELEMENT CONCENTRATIONS AND SPECIATION IN ALKALINE LAKES FROM THE WESTERN USA, Geophysical research letters, 21(9), 1994, pp. 773-776
The rare earth element (REE) concentrations of lake water from five al
kaline lakes (i.e., Mono, Walker, Abert, Summer, and Goose Lakes) with
in the Great Basin of the western U.S.A. are reported. All of the lake
s exhibit HREE-enriched shale-normalized patterns. The speciation of t
he REEs was determined and, in all cases, species greater than 99% of
each of the REEs exist as Ln(CO3)2-complexes. The only exception to th
is is Summer Lake where minor amounts of phosphate species were also p
redicted. The large enrichments in the HREEs observed in these lakes a
re the result of the formation of stable carbonate complexes in soluti
on where the HREEs preferentially form stronger carbonate complexes th
an the LREEs. Activity product calculations for REE phosphate coprecip
itates in these lakes indicate the lakes are close to saturation with
respect to these phases and suggest that these precipitates may limit
the maximum dissolved REE concentrations in the lakes.