Vote for your favorite mineral in #MinCup26! - Sphalerite vs. Anorthite
Both zinc ore Sphalerite and calcium plagioclase feldspar Anorthite have perfect cleavage that will split cleanly if you hit them with a hammer, but only one can claim a larger split of your votes!
Log InRegister
Quick Links : The Mindat ManualThe Rock H. Currier Digital LibraryMindat Newsletter [Free Download]
Home PageAbout MindatThe Mindat ManualHistory of MindatCopyright StatusWho We AreContact UsAdvertise on Mindat
Donate to MindatCorporate SponsorshipSponsor a PageSponsored PagesMindat AdvertisersAdvertise on Mindat
Learning CenterWhat is a mineral?The most common minerals on earthInformation for EducatorsMindat ArticlesThe ElementsThe Rock H. Currier Digital LibraryGeologic TimeExplore Fossils
Minerals by PropertiesMinerals by ChemistryMineral Visual ExplorerAdvanced Locality SearchRandom MineralRandom LocalitySearch by minIDLocalities Near MeSearch ArticlesSearch GlossaryMore Search Options
Search For:
Mineral Name:
Locality Name:
Keyword(s):
 
The Mindat ManualAdd a New PhotoRate PhotosLocality Edit ReportCoordinate Completion ReportAdd Glossary Item
Mining CompaniesStatisticsUsersMineral MuseumsClubs & OrganizationsMineral Shows & EventsThe Mindat DirectoryDevice SettingsThe Mineral QuizTime Machine
Photo SearchPhoto GalleriesSearch by ColorPhoto Colour ExplorerNew Photos TodayNew Photos YesterdayMembers' Photo GalleriesPast Photo of the Day GalleryPhotography

Deep Springs Lake (Deep Springs Playa), Deep Springs Valley, Inyo County, California, USAi
Regional Level Types
Deep Springs Lake (Deep Springs Playa)Saline Lake
Deep Springs ValleyValley
Inyo CountyCounty
CaliforniaState
USACountry

This page is currently not sponsored. Click here to sponsor this page.
PhotosMapsSearchMineralogy
Mindat Locality ID:
3451
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:2:3451:0
GUID (UUID V4):
0


Deep Springs Lake is a playa, a seasonal salt lake, generally drying in the summer to produce a salt pan, with surface water replenished in late spring with flows from nearby springs and snowmelt that travels the length of the valley from Wyman and Crooked creeks, which enter from the north.

Birds, and birdwatchers, flock to the Lake during the spring and fall migrations.

Surrounding the lake are numerous springs, some artesian, which gave the valley and the lake its name.

Select Mineral List Type

Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical Elements

Mineral List

Mineral list contains entries from the region specified including sub-localities

20 valid minerals.

Detailed Mineral List:

Aphthitalite
Formula: K3Na(SO4)2
Description: Occurs as saline crusts and efflorescences.
Aragonite
Formula: CaCO3
Colour: White
Description: Occurs in lake muds as slender crystals & white laminae.
Blödite
Formula: Na2Mg(SO4)2 · 4H2O
Description: Occurs as a constituent of saline crusts.
Burkeite
Formula: Na6(CO3)(SO4)2
Description: Occurs as efflorescences and saline crusts; in muds.
Calcite
Formula: CaCO3
Description: Occurs as crystals in mud layers.
Dolomite
Formula: CaMg(CO3)2
Description: Occurs as well-formed micro-crystals in sediments.
Gaylussite
Formula: Na2Ca(CO3)2 · 5H2O
Description: Occurs in lake muds and as efflorescences.
Glauberite
Formula: Na2Ca(SO4)2
Description: Occurs in saline crusts and in efflorescences.
Halite
Formula: NaCl
Mirabilite
Formula: Na2SO4 · 10H2O
Montmorillonite
Formula: (Na,Ca)0.33(Al,Mg)2(Si4O10)(OH)2 · nH2O
Description: One of the predominant layer silicates in the playa.
Muscovite
Formula: KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
Description: Principal clay mineral.
Muscovite var. Illite
Formula: K0.65Al2.0[Al0.65Si3.35O10](OH)2
Description: Principal clay mineral.
Nahcolite
Formula: NaHCO3
Description: Occurs in muds.
Natrite
Formula: Na2CO3
Pirssonite
Formula: Na2Ca(CO3)2 · 2H2O
Description: Occurs as efflorescences and in muds.
Sylvite
Formula: KCl
Description: Occurs in saline crusts and from efflorescences.
Thénardite
Formula: Na2SO4
Colour: Blue-gray
Description: Occurs as large crystals, some twinned.
Thermonatrite
Formula: Na2CO3 · H2O
Description: Occurs in efflorescences.
Trona
Formula: Na3H(CO3)2 · 2H2O
Description: Occurs as saline crusts and efflorescences.
Vermiculite
Formula: Mg0.7(Mg,Fe,Al)6(Si,Al)8O20(OH)4 · 8H2O
Description: One of the predominant layer silicates in the playa.

Gallery:

List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification

Group 3 - Halides
Halite3.AA.20NaCl
Sylvite3.AA.20KCl
Group 5 - Nitrates and Carbonates
Natrite5.AA.10Na2CO3
Nahcolite5.AA.15NaHCO3
Calcite5.AB.05CaCO3
Dolomite5.AB.10CaMg(CO3)2
Aragonite5.AB.15CaCO3
Thermonatrite5.CB.05Na2CO3 · H2O
Trona5.CB.15Na3H(CO3)2 · 2H2O
Pirssonite5.CB.30Na2Ca(CO3)2 · 2H2O
Gaylussite5.CB.35Na2Ca(CO3)2 · 5H2O
Group 7 - Sulphates, Chromates, Molybdates and Tungstates
Aphthitalite7.AC.35K3Na(SO4)2
Glauberite7.AD.25Na2Ca(SO4)2
Thénardite7.AD.25Na2SO4
Burkeite7.BD.25Na6(CO3)(SO4)2
Blödite7.CC.50Na2Mg(SO4)2 · 4H2O
Mirabilite7.CD.10Na2SO4 · 10H2O
Group 9 - Silicates
Muscovite
var. Illite
9.EC.15K0.65Al2.0[Al0.65Si3.35O10](OH)2
9.EC.15KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
Montmorillonite9.EC.40(Na,Ca)0.33(Al,Mg)2(Si4O10)(OH)2 · nH2O
Vermiculite9.EC.50Mg0.7(Mg,Fe,Al)6(Si,Al)8O20(OH)4 · 8H2O

List of minerals for each chemical element

HHydrogen
H BlöditeNa2Mg(SO4)2 · 4H2O
H GaylussiteNa2Ca(CO3)2 · 5H2O
H Muscovite var. IlliteK0.65Al2.0[Al0.65Si3.35O10](OH)2
H MirabiliteNa2SO4 · 10H2O
H MuscoviteKAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
H Montmorillonite(Na,Ca)0.33(Al,Mg)2(Si4O10)(OH)2 · nH2O
H NahcoliteNaHCO3
H PirssoniteNa2Ca(CO3)2 · 2H2O
H ThermonatriteNa2CO3 · H2O
H TronaNa3H(CO3)2 · 2H2O
H VermiculiteMg0.7(Mg,Fe,Al)6(Si,Al)8O20(OH)4 · 8H2O
CCarbon
C AragoniteCaCO3
C BurkeiteNa6(CO3)(SO4)2
C CalciteCaCO3
C DolomiteCaMg(CO3)2
C GaylussiteNa2Ca(CO3)2 · 5H2O
C NahcoliteNaHCO3
C NatriteNa2CO3
C PirssoniteNa2Ca(CO3)2 · 2H2O
C ThermonatriteNa2CO3 · H2O
C TronaNa3H(CO3)2 · 2H2O
OOxygen
O AphthitaliteK3Na(SO4)2
O AragoniteCaCO3
O BlöditeNa2Mg(SO4)2 · 4H2O
O BurkeiteNa6(CO3)(SO4)2
O CalciteCaCO3
O DolomiteCaMg(CO3)2
O GaylussiteNa2Ca(CO3)2 · 5H2O
O GlauberiteNa2Ca(SO4)2
O Muscovite var. IlliteK0.65Al2.0[Al0.65Si3.35O10](OH)2
O MirabiliteNa2SO4 · 10H2O
O MuscoviteKAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
O Montmorillonite(Na,Ca)0.33(Al,Mg)2(Si4O10)(OH)2 · nH2O
O NahcoliteNaHCO3
O NatriteNa2CO3
O PirssoniteNa2Ca(CO3)2 · 2H2O
O ThénarditeNa2SO4
O ThermonatriteNa2CO3 · H2O
O TronaNa3H(CO3)2 · 2H2O
O VermiculiteMg0.7(Mg,Fe,Al)6(Si,Al)8O20(OH)4 · 8H2O
NaSodium
Na AphthitaliteK3Na(SO4)2
Na BlöditeNa2Mg(SO4)2 · 4H2O
Na BurkeiteNa6(CO3)(SO4)2
Na GaylussiteNa2Ca(CO3)2 · 5H2O
Na GlauberiteNa2Ca(SO4)2
Na HaliteNaCl
Na MirabiliteNa2SO4 · 10H2O
Na Montmorillonite(Na,Ca)0.33(Al,Mg)2(Si4O10)(OH)2 · nH2O
Na NahcoliteNaHCO3
Na NatriteNa2CO3
Na PirssoniteNa2Ca(CO3)2 · 2H2O
Na ThénarditeNa2SO4
Na ThermonatriteNa2CO3 · H2O
Na TronaNa3H(CO3)2 · 2H2O
MgMagnesium
Mg BlöditeNa2Mg(SO4)2 · 4H2O
Mg DolomiteCaMg(CO3)2
Mg Montmorillonite(Na,Ca)0.33(Al,Mg)2(Si4O10)(OH)2 · nH2O
Mg VermiculiteMg0.7(Mg,Fe,Al)6(Si,Al)8O20(OH)4 · 8H2O
AlAluminium
Al Muscovite var. IlliteK0.65Al2.0[Al0.65Si3.35O10](OH)2
Al MuscoviteKAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
Al Montmorillonite(Na,Ca)0.33(Al,Mg)2(Si4O10)(OH)2 · nH2O
Al VermiculiteMg0.7(Mg,Fe,Al)6(Si,Al)8O20(OH)4 · 8H2O
SiSilicon
Si Muscovite var. IlliteK0.65Al2.0[Al0.65Si3.35O10](OH)2
Si MuscoviteKAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
Si Montmorillonite(Na,Ca)0.33(Al,Mg)2(Si4O10)(OH)2 · nH2O
Si VermiculiteMg0.7(Mg,Fe,Al)6(Si,Al)8O20(OH)4 · 8H2O
SSulfur
S AphthitaliteK3Na(SO4)2
S BlöditeNa2Mg(SO4)2 · 4H2O
S BurkeiteNa6(CO3)(SO4)2
S GlauberiteNa2Ca(SO4)2
S MirabiliteNa2SO4 · 10H2O
S ThénarditeNa2SO4
ClChlorine
Cl HaliteNaCl
Cl SylviteKCl
KPotassium
K AphthitaliteK3Na(SO4)2
K Muscovite var. IlliteK0.65Al2.0[Al0.65Si3.35O10](OH)2
K MuscoviteKAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
K SylviteKCl
CaCalcium
Ca AragoniteCaCO3
Ca CalciteCaCO3
Ca DolomiteCaMg(CO3)2
Ca GaylussiteNa2Ca(CO3)2 · 5H2O
Ca GlauberiteNa2Ca(SO4)2
Ca Montmorillonite(Na,Ca)0.33(Al,Mg)2(Si4O10)(OH)2 · nH2O
Ca PirssoniteNa2Ca(CO3)2 · 2H2O
FeIron
Fe VermiculiteMg0.7(Mg,Fe,Al)6(Si,Al)8O20(OH)4 · 8H2O

Fossils

This region is too big or complex to display the fossil list, try looking at smaller subregions.

Other Databases

Wikipedia:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_Springs_Valley
Wikidata ID:Q5250325

Localities in this Region

Other Regions, Features and Areas that Intersect


This page contains all mineral locality references listed on mindat.org. This does not claim to be a complete list. If you know of more minerals from this site, please register so you can add to our database. This locality information is for reference purposes only. You should never attempt to visit any sites listed in mindat.org without first ensuring that you have the permission of the land and/or mineral rights holders for access and that you are aware of all safety precautions necessary.

References

 
and/or  
Mindat.org® is an outreach project of the Hudson Institute of Mineralogy, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. Mindat® and mindat.org® are registered trademarks of the Hudson Institute of Mineralogy.
Copyright © mindat.org and the Hudson Institute of Mineralogy 1993-2026, except where stated. Most political location boundaries are © OpenStreetMap contributors. Mindat.org relies on the contributions of thousands of members and supporters. Founded in 2000 by Jolyon Ralph and Ida Chau.
Content on this site may not be used to train, fine-tune, or otherwise develop artificial intelligence or machine learning models without prior written permission - see our Terms & Conditions.
To cite: Ralph, J., Von Bargen, D., Martynov, P., Zhang, J., Que, X., Prabhu, A., Morrison, S. M., Li, W., Chen, W., & Ma, X. (2025). Mindat.org: The open access mineralogy database to accelerate data-intensive geoscience research. American Mineralogist, 110(6), 833–844. doi:10.2138/am-2024-9486.
Privacy Policy - Terms & Conditions - Contact Us / DMCA issues - Report a bug/vulnerability Current server date and time: September 3, 2026 11:06:59 Page updated: July 23, 2026 19:50:36
Go to top of page