Evaluation of 87Sr 86Sr [delta]18O [delta]2H and cation contents as geochemical tracers for provenance and flow paths of saline solutions in German Zechstein deposits The assessment of flow paths of saline solutions that percolate through evaporitic deposits is an important task for a mining company to avoid loss of a mine by flooding. In this study the provenance of such saline solutions is evaluated via the cation contents the [delta]18O and [delta]2H characteristics and the 87Sr 86Sr ratios. The cation patterns of evaporating brines derived from seawater show a characteristic composition for several stages of concentration in the residual brine following the quinary phase system of seawater. Such concentration stages can be identified in the saline solutions if they were synsedimentary or postsedimentary incorporated into the evaporitic deposits (internal solutions). Most internal samples have compositions similar to that of seawater that is in equilibrium with carnallite (Q solutions). In contrast samples of meteoric groundwater that percolates from its source aquifer through the deposit into a rock salt or potash mine (external solution) show a significantly different cation composition from that of the internal solutions ...