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The gypsum is mostly in the form of alabaster. There are several types of alabaster found at the site, including pink, white, and the rare black alabaster. This black alabaster can be found in only three veins in the world, one each in Oklahoma, Italy and China. Another form of gypsum can be found in the many selenite crystal formations. [4]
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Gypsum is a soft sulfate mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate, with the chemical formula CaSO 4 ·2H 2 O. [4] It is widely mined and is used as a fertilizer and as the main constituent in many forms of plaster, drywall and blackboard or sidewalk chalk.
Black alabaster is a rare anhydrite form of the gypsum-based mineral. The black form is found in only three veins in the world, one each in United States, Italy, and China. Alabaster Caverns State Park, near Freedom, Oklahoma, is home to a natural gypsum cave in which much of the gypsum is in the form of alabaster. There are several types of ...
Selenite, satin spar, desert rose, and gypsum flower are crystal habit varieties of the mineral gypsum.. All varieties of gypsum, including selenite and alabaster, are composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate (meaning that it has two molecules of water), with the chemical formula CaSO 4 ·2H 2 O. Selenite contains no selenium, the similar names both derive from Greek selḗnē (σελήνη 'Moon').
Halite is deposited on the surface of the sabkha and gypsum and aragonite precipitate in the subsurface [14] via capillary action from brines brought up from the water table. [10] In drier parts of the sabkha the gypsum can be altered to anhydrite and the aragonite can be dolomitized diagenetically. [13]
BPB's gypsum operation in 2007. James Hardie Gypsum eventually purchased the mine, and expanded operations there in 1998. It had 150 employees by the end of the decade. [12] In 1999, James Hardie put 2,700 acres of its mine land up for sale, at a price of $45 million. [13]
The mineral-rich area surrounding the cave filters the water and makes it very clear. Divers have a visibility of over 50 yards (46 m) making it an ideal location for photographic expeditions. [3] Victor Lyagushkin, a journalist and underwater photographer, led around 150 expeditions into the caves over a six-month period in 2011. [5]