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Gypsum is a common mineral, with thick and extensive evaporite beds in association with sedimentary rocks. Deposits are known to occur in strata from as far back as the Archaean eon. [16] Gypsum is deposited from lake and sea water, as well as in hot springs, from volcanic vapors, and sulfate solutions in veins.
When the overall temperature of the cave started to drop below 56 °C (133 °F), the hydrothermal and sedimentary anhydrite crystals dissolved, and gypsum (CaSO 4 · 2 H 2 O) crystals formed. [7] The hydrated sulfate gypsum crystallized at an extremely slow rate over the course of at least 500,000 years, forming the enormous crystals found ...
Orda Cave (Ординская, Ordinskaya) is a gypsum crystal cave found underneath the western Ural Mountains. The mouth is near the shore of the Kungur River just outside Orda, Perm Krai in Russia. The cave system stretches over 5.1 kilometres (3.2 mi) with around 4.8 kilometres (3.0 mi) over the overall length being under water. [1]
This large, underwater sinkhole formation approximately 300 meters across and 125 meters deep, is famous for its clear blue waters and diverse marine life, making it a popular spot for diving and ...
Stalagmites, stalactites, and draperies by a pool. Lechuguilla Cave offers more than extreme size. It holds a variety of rare speleothems, including lemon-yellow sulfur deposits, 20-foot (6.1 m) gypsum chandeliers, 20-foot (6.1 m) gypsum hairs and beards, 15-foot (4.6 m) soda straws, hydromagnesite balloons, cave pearls, subaqueous helictites, rusticles, U-loops, and J-loops.
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]
This list of deepest mines includes operational and non-operational mines that are at least 2,224 m (7,297 ft), which is the depth of Krubera Cave, the deepest known natural cave in the world. The depth measurements in this list represent the difference in elevation from the entrance of the mine to the deepest excavated point.
White Sands National Park is a national park of the United States located in New Mexico and completely surrounded by the White Sands Missile Range.The park covers 145,762 acres (227.8 sq mi; 589.9 km 2) in the Tularosa Basin, including the southern 41% of a 275 sq mi (710 km 2) field of white sand dunes composed of gypsum crystals.