Desert Cave Hotel
Hutchison street, Coober Pedy, South Australia state, Australia
Occurrence
Gypsum crsytals growing on the surface of the Cretaceous Aptian (120 Ma) Bulldog Shale in the very dry climate. The Bulldog Shale was formed under shallow marine environment. The Marree Subgroup unconformably overlies the Late Jurassic Algebuckina Sandstone and Paleozoic sediments.
Wall of the old opal mine which is used as an undergrond hotel. Gypsum component in the grand water precipitates as filiform gypsum during the evaporation process on the surface of the shale in the very dry climate. White filiform crystals are gypsum. The light brown basement is the weathered shale of the Bulldog Shale. Rough vertical trenches are traces of the excavator.
Reported Minerals
Mineral Assemblages
- Gypsum
Localities
- Yoshimi-Hyakuana (Alunogen)
- Sagiri valley (Pickeringite)
- Iwadono Kannon (Epsomite)
- Oya (Mirabilite)
- Oya Quarry (Mirabilite)
- Desert Cave Hotel (Filiform gypsum)