Clay Minerals in Playas of the Mojave Desert, California

Montmorillonite, illite, chlorite, and kaolinite in the playas of southern California are traceable directly to the source areas surrounding the basins. No evidence found in this investigation suggests that these clay minerals are unstable in the sodic or calcic saline lake environment, but this conclusion may not be directly applied to marine evaporite facies where the minerals are rich in potassium and magnesium.