The Giant Geode of Pulpí in South Spain is a cave of
crystals formed during the Messinian Salinity Crisis 6 million years ago, when
the Mediterranean Sea evaporated and left thick layers of salt and gypsum
sediments (evaporites). This was caused by the marine disconnection with the
Atlantic Ocean.
The crystal cave will open to visitors on 2019. The Giant
Geode was discovered in December 1999 by the Mineralogist Group of Madrid, and
has been under study since then.
The geodes are curious formations found in the interior of
rocks of different nature (igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary). At first
sight they look like normal rocks, however, they contain beautiful crystals,
sometimes formed by gas bubbles inside a magmatic mass that, thanks to the
cavity caused by the bubble and the slow process of confrontation, allow the
perfect crystallization of the materials that surround it.
There are geodes of all sizes and type of crystals, from
small ones that fit in the palm of your hand to giants like those found in
Uruguay. However, Naica or Pulpí Giant Geodes are so important because of the
enormous size of their gypsum crystals, unique in the world.
The Giant Geode of Pulpí, also called "the
icehouse", is the second largest in the world and the only one that can be
visited. The largest geode in the world is Naica (Mexico) whose crystals reach
10 meters large, but is located in a mine at 50º Celsius of temperature and
with a humidity of 100%, which makes it impossible for tourists to visit it.
Contrary, the Giant Pulpí Geode is at a temperature of 20º Celsius and at a
more than acceptable humidity level.
It is located inside an iron and lead mine 60 meters deep
and its access is relatively simple through a funnel-shaped opening, with the
narrowest side bent in an L-shape and dimensions of only 0.5 meters in diameter
in the narrow tube that serves as an access. After this narrow passage open
artificially by the discoverers, you access the heart of the Giant Geode. This
forms a hollow volume of 10.7 cubic meters, with 8 meters long, 1.8 meters wide
and 1.7 meters high. The size of the gypsum crystals is up to 2 meters, with a
transparency that you can read a book through it. Its state of conservation
makes it a “nature’s jewel ".
The investment to visit the Giant Geode is almost 500,000
euros, although the objective of the works is not only that visitors can
contemplate the geode, but visit a good part of the Rich Mine, which houses a
rich and unique geological heritage . Throughout its more than 350 meters of
galleries and three levels of exploitation, future visitors will be able to see
other gypsum geodes smaller than the giant geode.
THANKS TO:
http://www.pulpituristico.es
http://www.andalucia.org
https://www.pulpi.es
Virtual Visit: http://estudiofuture.com/
Music Track: https://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music/track/once-again
