Discovery of a unique cave in Spain – Part 1

A research team composed of specialists from the Geological Survey of Spain and the Complutense University of Madrid has discovered in the cave The polytype Soplao.

A new mineral, zaccagnaita-3R , unique in the world by being the first reported case of a zaccagnaita formed in a cave, which turns this into a new mineral species espeleotémico, and The Soplao in a single cavity by hosting it.

The discovery was published in the April issue of ‘American Mineralogist’, the magazine published by the Mineralogical Society of America, by the authors of the research and discovery: Rafael P. Lozano (Mining Museum, Geological Survey of Spain), Carlos
Rossi (Department of Petrology and Geochemistry, Faculty of Geological Sciences Complutense University), Angel’s Church (Economic Geology Institute-CSIC-UCM, School of Geological Sciences , Universidad Complutense) and Emilio Matesanz, Center for Research
Assistance RX diffraction, Faculty of Chemical Sciences (Universidad Complutense).

Besides being the first found in a cave, the new mineral espeleotémico El Soplao is distinguished by its peculiar morphology and zoned octahedral fluorescence unknown natural hydrotalcites (group to which the zaccagnaita). Also, from the chemical point of
view, is richer in aluminum.

As reported by the Government of Cantabria in a statement, this new scientific achievement is the result of geological research work being carried out in El Soplao thanks to an agreement signed by the Department of Innovation, Industry, Tourism and Trade,
the Institute Geological Survey, and the company SIEC SA

The Department maintains "continuous support" to the research and study of the cave through agreements with various agencies and universities including the University of Cantabria, which recently signed an extension of the Chair The Soplao, which allow 3D
measurement of the mining galleries.

To be continued…

Short URL: https://www.newspakistan.pk/?p=18960

Posted by Fouad Ashraf on Apr 14 2012. Filed under World. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry