Earth’s Cryosphere, 2023, Vol. XXVII, No. 3, p. 3-13.
CRYOLITHOGENESIS
CRYOGENIC RAPIDCREEKITE OF THE MALAYA NIZHNEUDINSKAYA CAVE (EASTERN SIBERIA)
E.P. Bazarova1,*, O.I. Kadebskaya2, M.N. Rubtsova1, O.V. Korotchenkova2, A.M. Kononov1,3
1 Institute of the Earth Crust, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Lermontova St. 128, Irkutsk, 664033 Russia
2 Mining Institute, Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Sibirskaya St. 78A, Perm, 614007 Russia
3 Irkutsk National Research Technical University, Lermontova St. 83, Irkutsk, 664074 Russia
*Corresponding author; e-mail: bazarova@crust.irk.ru
The morphology and mineral composition of cryogenic formations of the Malaya Nizhneudinskaya Cave have been studied by electron microscopy and X-ray powder diffraction. This cave is confined to permafrost. The temperature in the cave is near zero all the year round, so that ice formations are widely developed. When solution freezes, and the subsequent partial sublimation of ice takes place, speleothems with cryogenic cave minerals are formed. Cryogenic formations are composed of gypsum, calcite, and a rare mineral rapidcreekite Ca2(SO4)(CO3)⋅4H2O. Rapidcreekite forms radial fibrous aggregates of acicular crystals of up to 200 mm in length. In our opinion, the source of sulfur is represented by the locally developed interlayers of gypsum in the non-karsting rocks overlying the limestones. This is the second finding of rapidcreekite in the speleo-cryomineralogenesis environment in the world and the first discovery of this mineral in the caves of Russia.
Keywords: cave, cryogenesis, isotope composition, rapidcreekite
Recommended citation: Bazarova E.P., Kadebskaya O.I., Rubtsova M.N., Korotchenkova O.V., Kononov A.M., 2023. Cryogenic rapidcreekite of the Malaya Nizhneudinskaya Cave (Eastern Siberia). Earth’s Cryosphere XXVII (3), 3–13.