Abstract

ULLOA, Andrés; CAMPOS-FERNANDEZ, Cristian S.  and  ROJAS, Leonardo. Minerals Cave, Irazú volcano, Costa Rica: description, mineralogy and origin. Rev. Geol. Amér. Central [online]. 2013, n.48, pp.169-187. ISSN 0256-7024.

Two caves located on the NW sector of the main crater of Irazú volcano are described for the fi rst time. The caves, called Mucolitos and Minerales, are located at the base of the landslide t on December 8th, 1994, and are found in pyroclastic rocks with intense hydrothermal alteration. We suggest that both caves are associated with spaces between blocks in block slide with stepped surface and this mechanism is proposed as new vulcanospeleological mechanism. We collected twenty samples which were analyzed based on x-ray diffractometry studies and their physical properties. Twenty one differents minerals corresponding to twenty sulfates and one native element were identifi ed. Five of these minerals are reported for the fi rst time in worldwide caves (aplowite CoSO₄•4H₂O, boyleite (Zn, Mg) SO₄•4H₂O, ferrinatrite Na₃Fe(SO₄)3•3H₂O, magnesiocopiapite MgFe⁺³₄ (SO₄)₆(OH)₂•20H₂O and wupatkiitea (Co,Mg,Ni)Al₂(SO₄)₄•22H₂O). The cave presents different speleothemes, the crust is the most common one, but also stalactites, stalagmites and geysermites are present. In both caves, the presence of snottites formations (extremophile bacteria colonies) was identifi ed. We propose four principals mineralogenic mechanisms for the formation of these minerals, which correspond to degassing, solubilization alteration and dehydratation. The infl uence of biogenic activity in the precipitation of some minerals is also suggested.

Keywords : Irazú volcano; Costa Rica; volcanic caves; mineralogy; sulfates; vulcanospeleology; snottites.

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