p &EQIQQY 
 
 Art. XV . — Analyses of the Waters of some American Alkali 
 Lakes ; by Thomas M. Chatard. 
 
 In the course of the geological examination, by the II. S. 
 Geological Survey, of the Great Basin or country lying be- 
 tween the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada, samples 
 of the waters of most of the lakes of that section were collected 
 and sent for analysis to the laboratory of the Survey. Many 
 of these analyses were published in Bulk No. 9, U. S. Geol. 
 Survey, but when I began a special study of the more import- 
 ant sources of natural alkalies, for the purpose of preparing 
 the way for their practical utilization, a re-examination was, in 
 some cases, deemed advisable and samples were also obtained 
 from Owen’s Lake, California, a locality not visited by the 
 Great Basin party. 
 
 The four analyses here given represent the most important 
 alkali lakes so far known and as the waters of two of them are 
 now being utilized, it is believed that the information will 
 prove of interest. 
 
 The analytical methods used are, in general, well known. 
 The carbonic anhydride was, in jail ases, determined by dis- 
 
 / 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 v <c*- 
 
 
 
 
 V 
 
 
147 
 
 T. M. Chatard— Analyses of Alkali Lake Waters. 
 
 tillation, being' collected and weighed in a potash bulb. For 
 the boric acid, in the water of Owen’s Lake, the excellent 
 method of Gooch* was followed ; for the Mono and Ragtown 
 waters the process of Stronleyer, with modifications of my 
 own, was used, but, though giving very fair results, the pro- 
 cess cannot be compared for ease, simplicity and accuracy with 
 the former method. 
 
 The determination of the alkalies in such very dense waters 
 was, at first, found to be difficult, owing to the large quanti- 
 ties necessarily taken. To get determinations which shall be 
 fairly accurate when referred to a liter, portions of not less 
 than 50 c.c. should be taken, the water in all cases being care- 
 fully weighed. The amount of alkaline chlorides correspond- 
 ing to 50 c.c. of such waters is very large, and, when the final 
 evaporations are being made, there is great liability to loss, 
 owing to the formation of a salt crust on the surface of the 
 liquid and subsequent spirting caused by steam and ammonia 
 vapor produced under the crust. This takes place no matter 
 how carefully the evaporation be carried on, and many deter- 
 minations were thus lost. 
 
 The use of hydrochloric acid enables us, however, to com- 
 pletely obviate this difficulty. The purified alkaline chlorides 
 are to be evaporated till crystallization begins ; the platinum 
 vessel is then removed from the water bath and an equal bulk 
 of very pure, highly concentrated hydrochloric acid added to the 
 solution. A copious precipitation of finely granular salts at 
 once ensues, and, on replacing the vessel on the water bath, 
 evaporation goes on quietly and rapidly, no salt crust is formed, 
 and when the final heating is given, little decrepitation occurs. 
 In this manner, it is as easy to handle several grams of chlo- 
 rides and to obtain accurate determinations as it is when we 
 have to deal with the far smaller quantities usual in mineral 
 analysis. 
 
 Of the four lakes to be considered, the most northern one is 
 Abert Lake, in south-eastern Oregon. The sample analysed 
 was “ collected by H. T. Biddle at middle of west side of lake, 
 one foot below surface, 80-40 feet from shore, September, 
 1887.” The total quantity at my disposal was about 200 c.c., 
 an amount too small for any extended research, but sufficient 
 for all practical purposes. For each determination, 25 c.c. = 
 25 - 7792 grams were taken. 
 
 Specific Gravity, L03117 at 19.8°. 
 
 * Gooch, Proc. Am. Acad. Sci., 1886. p. 167. 
 
T. M. Chaiard — Analyses of Alkali Lake Waters. 148 
 
 Contents in 25 c.c. 
 
 A. B. Average. 
 
 In 1 Liter. 
 
 Per cent. 
 
 Hypothetical 
 
 Composition. 
 
 Per cent. 
 
 Si0 2 -0063 
 
 •0053 
 
 •00580 
 
 •232 
 
 •59 
 
 Si0 2 
 
 •232 
 
 •59 
 
 K -0J3.3 
 
 •0136 
 
 01345 
 
 •538 
 
 137 
 
 KC1 
 
 1-027 
 
 2-62 
 
 Na -3674 
 
 •3671 
 
 •36725 
 
 14-690 
 
 37.51 
 
 NaCl 
 
 21-380 
 
 54-58 
 
 S0 3 0148 
 
 •0146 
 
 •01470 
 
 •588 
 
 1*50 
 
 Na 2 S0 4 
 
 1-050 
 
 2-68 
 
 O -0030 
 
 •0029 
 
 •00295 
 
 •118 
 
 •30 
 
 Na 2 C0 3 
 
 10-611 
 
 27-09 
 
 C0 2 *1755 
 
 •1757 
 
 •17560 
 
 7-024 
 
 17*93 
 
 NaHC0 3 
 
 4-872 
 
 12-44 
 
 O -0615 
 
 0616 
 
 •06155 
 
 2-462 
 
 6-28 
 
 
 39*172 
 
 100-00 
 
 Cl -3365 
 
 •3366 
 
 •33655 
 
 13 462 
 
 34-67 
 
 
 
 
 H 
 
 
 
 •058 
 
 •15 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 39-172 
 
 100-00 
 
 
 
 
 Proceeding southwardly, we have next the “ Big Soda Lake” 
 near Ragtown, Churchill Co., Nevada. This, with the adjoin- 
 ing u Little Soda Lake,” has been very fully described by 
 King* and by Russell, f and my own observations, during ray 
 short stay at this place, were confined to the technical aspects 
 of the manufacture of carbonate of soda, which is carried on 
 at both lakes. 
 
 The sample of the water of the “ Big Lake,” of which the 
 analysis is here given, was collected by Mr. Russell in 1881, 
 and was taken at the depth of one foot. The analysis was 
 made in 1884 and was published in Bulletin No. 9, U. S. Geol. 
 Survey, the C0 2 being then determined by difference. Since 
 then it has been carefully determined in duplicate, with the 
 following results. 
 
 Specific Gravity, 1*0995 at 19 - 8°. 
 
 
 In 1 Liter. 
 
 Per cent. 
 
 Hypothet. Composition. 
 
 Per cent. 
 
 Si0 2 
 
 •304 
 
 •24 
 
 Sl0 2 
 
 •304 
 
 •24 
 
 Mg 
 
 •270 
 
 •21 
 
 MgC0 3 
 
 •862 
 
 •67 
 
 K 
 
 2-520 
 
 1-95 
 
 KC1 
 
 4-817 
 
 3-73 
 
 Na 
 
 45-840 
 
 35-53 
 
 NaCl 
 
 71-507 
 
 55-42 
 
 b 4 o 7 
 
 •314 
 
 •24 
 
 Na 2 S0 4 
 
 19-170 
 
 14-86 
 
 S0 4 
 
 12 960 
 
 10*05 
 
 Na 4 B 4 0 7 
 
 •402 
 
 •31 
 
 co 3 
 
 20-934 
 
 16-23 
 
 Na 2 C0 3 
 
 16 731 
 
 12-97 
 
 Cl 
 
 45*690 
 
 35-41 
 
 NaHC0 3 
 
 15-220 
 
 11-80 
 
 H 
 
 •181 
 
 •14 
 
 
 
 
 
 — 
 
 
 
 129-13 
 
 100-00 
 
 
 129-013 
 
 100-00 
 
 
 
 
 Mono Lake, Mono Co., California, is next in succession. 
 This locality is described at length by Mr. I. C. Russell in his 
 paper, “ The Quaternary History of Mono Valley, California,” 
 which will shortly appear in the 8th Annual Report of the 
 U. S. Geological Survey; for the present it suffices to say 
 that this large body of water, of a composition so favorable to 
 utilization, is, for practical purposes, inaccessible, and that the 
 high altitude and consequent shortness of the evaporating sea- 
 
 * King, Clarence, U. S. Geol. Expl. 40th Parallel, vol. i, pp. 510-513. 
 f Russell, I. C., Geological History of Lake Lahontan, U. S. Geological Survey. 
 
 Monographs XI. 
 
149 T. M. Chatard — Analyses of Alkali Lake Waters. 
 
 son would, under any circumstances, render the success of any 
 industry established there very doubtful. 
 
 The sample analyzed was collected by Mr. Russell in 1882 
 and Avas taken at the depth of one foot, on east side of lake. 
 Specific gravity, 1*045 at 15*5°. 
 
 
 In 1 Liter. 
 
 Per cent. 
 
 Hypothet. Composition. 
 
 Per cent. 
 
 Si0 2 
 
 •0700 
 
 •12 
 
 Si0 2 
 
 •0700 
 
 13 
 
 K 
 
 •9614 
 
 1-79 
 
 (Al 2 Fe 2 )0 3 
 
 •0030 
 
 •005 
 
 Na 
 
 19*6853 
 
 36 81 
 
 CaC0 3 
 
 •0500 
 
 09 
 
 Ca 
 
 •0200 
 
 •037 
 
 MgC0 3 
 
 •1928 
 
 •36 
 
 Mg 
 
 •055 L 
 
 • .10 
 
 Na 4 B 4 0 7 
 
 •2071 
 
 •39 
 
 (Al 2 Fe 2 )0 
 
 3 -0030 
 
 •005 
 
 KC1 
 
 1-8365 
 
 3-44 
 
 S0 4 
 
 6-6720 
 
 12-480 
 
 NaCl 
 
 18-5033 
 
 34-60 
 
 C0 3 
 
 13-6903 
 
 25*61 
 
 Na 2 S0 4 
 
 9-8690 
 
 18-45 
 
 b 4 o 7 
 
 •1600 
 
 •30 
 
 Na 2 C0 3 
 
 18-3556 
 
 34-33 
 
 Cl 
 
 12-1036 
 
 22-64 
 
 NaHC0 3 
 
 4-3856 
 
 8-20 
 
 H 
 
 •0522 
 
 •10 
 
 
 — 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 53-4729 
 
 100-00 
 
 
 53-4729 
 
 100-00 
 
 
 
 
 Finally, at the southern end of the series, we have Owen’s 
 Lake, Inyo Co., California. This lake has been described by 
 Oscar Loew in Wheeler’s Report for 18T6, pages 189-194, and 
 upon it most of my held work for 1886 and 1887 has been done. 
 Its greatest dimensions, as given by Loew, are seventeen miles 
 long by nine miles wide, its greatest depth fifty-one feet, and 
 it contains, according to his calculation, 22,000,000 tons of 
 carbonate of soda. The Inyo Development Co. has begun the 
 manufacture of soda at this point and to it I am indebted for 
 every needed facility for making observations on the evapora- 
 tion of the water and on the various salts obtained by its frac- 
 tional crystallization. These products, together with others 
 since obtained, are under examination and the results will be 
 published later. 
 
 The sample analyzed was taken by myself, Sept. 17, 1886. 
 Portions of 100 c.c. were taken for each determination, the 
 duplicates - agreeing very closely. 
 
 Specific gravity, 1*062 at 25°. 
 
 
 In 1 Liter. 
 
 Per cent. 
 
 Hypothet. Composition. 
 
 Per cent. 
 
 Si0 2 
 
 •220 
 
 •28 
 
 Si0 2 
 
 •220 
 
 •28 
 
 K 
 
 1-644 
 
 2-13 
 
 ( Al 2 Fe 2 )0 3 
 
 •038 \ 
 
 *1 3 
 
 Na 
 
 28-500 
 
 36-96 
 
 (CaMg)C0 3 
 
 •055 \ 
 
 * IO 
 
 Ca 
 
 •014 
 
 02 
 
 Na 4 B 4 0 7 
 
 •475 
 
 ' -63 
 
 Mg 
 
 •005 
 
 
 
 KC1 
 
 3-137 
 
 4-07 
 
 Fe 2 0 ; 
 
 , -014 
 
 •02 
 
 NaCl 
 
 29-415 
 
 38-16 
 
 A1 2 0, 
 
 , -024 
 
 03 
 
 Na 2 S0 4 
 
 11-080 
 
 14-38 
 
 S0 4 
 
 7-505 
 
 9-73 
 
 Na 2 C0 3 
 
 26-963 
 
 34-95 
 
 B 4 0 7 
 
 •367 
 
 •49 
 
 NaHC0 3 
 
 5-715 
 
 7-40 
 
 C0 3 
 
 19-398 
 
 25-16 
 
 
 
 
 Cl 
 
 19-344 
 
 25-09 
 
 
 77-098 
 
 100-00 
 
 H 
 
 •063 
 
 •10 
 
 
 
 
 
 77-098 
 
 100-00 
 
 
 
 
 L 
 
 c 
 
T. M. Chatard — Analyses of Alkali Lake Waters. 150 
 
 In comparing such analyses, to determine the practical* value 
 of a given water for soda making, the relation of the amount 
 of sulphate to the total amount of carbonate is of the greatest 
 importance, since the greater the relative amount of sulphate, 
 the more difficult it will be to obtain a high grade carbonate by 
 simple solar evaporation. If this relative amount is small, a 
 large excess of chlorides may be present without materially 
 complicating the process. The relation between the mono- 
 carbonate and the bicarbonate should, for best results, be a 
 molecule of each plus an excess of monocarbonate. The 
 amount of necessary excess is not yet accurately determined 
 but is probably under a molecule. Judged by this standard, 
 the water of Abert Lake is the best, Ragtown the worst, of 
 those here considered, while Owen’s Lake, occupying a middle 
 position as regards purity, is, owing to its geographical position 
 and climatic environment, probably the one best adapted for 
 practical utilization. 
 

 

 
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