Composition of subsurface waters in certain mercury-antimony deposits in Central Asia

In the Khaydarkan and the Karasu ore fields, mercury is present in outcropping subsurface waters (fractions of one microgram per liter), and is enriched significantly in sediments of the springs. The fig content of waters circulating in carbonate rocks is higher, almost by a whole order of magnitude, than in aluminosilicate rocks. The waters are of the HCO₃ and SO₄ type, low in Na and Cl, at pH 5 to 6. 5, T. S. at 200 to 600 ppm; traces of Sb, As, Zn, Cu, Sr, Ba, others are present. -- V. P. Sokoloff.