Withthetechnologicaldevelopmentofexploitationandseparation,theprimarysourceoflithiumhasgraduallychangedfromoretobrine,whichhasbecomethemainrawmaterial,accountingformorethan80%ofthetotalproduction.Resourcesoflithium-bearingbrineareabundantinChina.Thispaperhassummarizedthespatialandtemporaldistribution,characteristics,andformationmechanismofthelithium-richbrineinChina,aimingtoprovideacomprehensivesetofguidelinesforfuturelithiumexploitationfrombrines.Lithiumbrinesusuallyexistinmodemsalinelakesanddeepundergroundsedimentaryrocksassubsurfacebrines.ThemetallogenicepochofChina'slithium-richbrinespansfromtheTriassictotheQuaternary,andthesebrinesexhibitobviousregionaldistributioncharacteristics.Modemlithium-richsalinelakesarepredominatelylocatedintheQinghai-TibetPlateau.Incomparison,thesubsurfacelithium-richbrinesaremainlydistributedinthesedimentarybasinsofSichuan,Hubei,Jiangxi,andthewesternpartoftheQaidamBasin.Lithium-richsalinelakesarechloride-enriched,sulfate-enriched,andcarbonateenriched,whilethedeeplithium-richbrinesaremainlychloride-enriched.Onthewhole,thevalueofMg/Liindeepbrineisgenerallylowerthanthatofbrineinsalinelakes.Thegenesisoflithium-richbrinesinChinaisnotuniform,generallytherearetwoprocesses,whicharerespectivelysuitableforsaltlakesanddeepbrine.
