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San Salvador caves, San Salvador Island, San Salvador District, Bahamasi
| Regional Level Types | |
|---|---|
| San Salvador caves | Group of Caves |
| San Salvador Island | Island |
| San Salvador District | District |
| Bahamas | Country |
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San Salvador Island occupies a small isolated bank within the Bahamian archipelago.
The limestone of San Salvador is young (<500,000 years) and is considered eogenetic; it has never been buried or undergone significant diagenesis.
Subaerial caves, in which minerals have been studied, are:
- pit caves, i.e. vadose shafts that collect water from the epikarst and conduct it towards the water table, including Hog Cay, Double Shaft, Triple Shaft, and Owl’s Hole;
- flank margin caves, which develop in the distal margin of the freshwater lens under the flank of the enclosing landmass. Most of the investigated samples were collected in such flank margin caves from the northern (Lighthouse, Reckley Hill Pond, Midget Horror, Garden Cave, Crescent Top, Pipe, and Majors) and southern (Dance Hall, Alter, Dripping Rock, Chinese Fire Drill, and Blowhole) part of the island.
Despite the lack of lithological variety on San Salvador Island, 20 different mineral species have been identified (Onac et al., 2009). This surprising mineral diversity has an explanation: the presence in and around the caves of some particular ingredients such as bat guano, seawater, and sea spray. Another reason for identifying this large number of minerals is that the studies have not only been focused on typical speleothems, but mostly on a variety of weathered crusts and earthy aggregates collected from within fresh or desiccated guano piles.
Minerals are distributed as follows:
aragonite, calcite, gypsum, cesanite, chlorapatite, fluorapatite, hydroxylapatite, archerite, ardealite, brushite, hopeite, monetite, and whitlockite at Lighthouse Cave; calcite, halite, gypsum, hydroxylapatite, brushite, and whitlockite at Reckley Hill Pond Water Cave; calcite, gypsum, and hydroxylapatite at Reckley Hill Pond Maze Cave, Pipe Cave, and Dripping Rock Cave; calcite, gypsum, hydroxylapatite, biphosphammite, and brushite at Midget Horror Cave; calcite and gypsum at Garden Cave and Hog Cay Cave; calcite, gypsum, hydroxylapatite, and brushite at Crescent Top Cave; calcite, gypsum, darapskite, and hydroxylapatite at Majors Cave; calcite, gypsum, hydroxylapatite, and monetite at Dance Hall Cave; calcite, celestine, and gypsum at Owl's Hole Shaft; aragonite, calcite, and gypsum at Double Shaft and Chinese Fire Drill Cave; aragonite, calcite, gypsum, and hydroxylapatite at Triple Shaft; aragonite, calcite, halite, gypsum, niter, nitratine, fluorapatite, hydroxylapatite, collinsite, and whitlockite at Altar Cave; calcite, halite, and gypsum at Blowhole Cave.
Lighthouse Cave is the second locality for cesanite, the first in a cave environment, which here appears as outward-radiating crystals (less than 50 μm in size) between calcite and gypsum layers.
The presence of hopeite, previously always reported as an ore-related mineral, at Lighthouse Cave is problematic. Onac et al. (2009) have considered three hypotheses for zinc origin: zinc, leached from soil, entered the cave via percolating water; zinc has been supplied by bat guano (Zn in bat guano can exceed 400 ppm and its concentration may vary according to the diet of different bat species); zinc derived from human activities such as waste burning and pollution from domestic wastewater. Accorging to the authors, the first and the second hypothesis seem more plausible for the source of Zn.
Select Mineral List Type
Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical ElementsMineral List
Mineral list contains entries from the region specified including sub-localities20 valid minerals.
Rock Types Recorded
Rock list contains entries from the region specified including sub-localities
Select Rock List Type
Alphabetical List Tree DiagramDetailed Mineral List:
| ⓘ Aragonite Formula: CaCO3 |
| ⓘ Archerite Formula: (K,NH4)(H2PO4) |
| ⓘ Ardealite Formula: Ca2(PO3OH)(SO4) · 4H2O |
| ⓘ Biphosphammite Formula: NH4(H2PO4) |
| ⓘ Brushite Formula: Ca(PO3OH) · 2H2O |
| ⓘ Calcite Formula: CaCO3 |
| ⓘ Celestine Formula: SrSO4 |
| ⓘ Cesanite Formula: Na3Ca2(SO4)3(OH) |
| ⓘ Chlorapatite Formula: Ca5(PO4)3Cl |
| ⓘ Collinsite Formula: Ca2Mg(PO4)2 · 2H2O |
| ⓘ Darapskite Formula: Na3(SO4)(NO3) · H2O |
| ⓘ Fluorapatite Formula: Ca5(PO4)3F |
| ⓘ Gypsum Formula: CaSO4 · 2H2O |
| ⓘ Halite Formula: NaCl |
| ⓘ Hopeite Formula: ZnZn2(PO4)2 · 4H2O |
| ⓘ Hydroxylapatite Formula: Ca5(PO4)3(OH) |
| ⓘ Monetite Formula: Ca(PO3OH) |
| ⓘ Niter Formula: KNO3 |
| ⓘ Nitratine Formula: NaNO3 |
| ⓘ Whitlockite Formula: Ca9Mg(PO4)6(PO3OH) |
Gallery:
List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification
| Group 3 - Halides | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| ⓘ | Halite | 3.AA.20 | NaCl |
| Group 5 - Nitrates and Carbonates | |||
| ⓘ | Calcite | 5.AB.05 | CaCO3 |
| ⓘ | Aragonite | 5.AB.15 | CaCO3 |
| ⓘ | Nitratine | 5.NA.05 | NaNO3 |
| ⓘ | Niter | 5.NA.10 | KNO3 |
| Group 7 - Sulphates, Chromates, Molybdates and Tungstates | |||
| ⓘ | Celestine | 7.AD.35 | SrSO4 |
| ⓘ | Cesanite | 7.BD.20 | Na3Ca2(SO4)3(OH) |
| ⓘ | Gypsum | 7.CD.40 | CaSO4 · 2H2O |
| ⓘ | Darapskite | 7.DG.05 | Na3(SO4)(NO3) · H2O |
| Group 8 - Phosphates, Arsenates and Vanadates | |||
| ⓘ | Whitlockite | 8.AC.45 | Ca9Mg(PO4)6(PO3OH) |
| ⓘ | Monetite | 8.AD.10 | Ca(PO3OH) |
| ⓘ | Archerite | 8.AD.15 | (K,NH4)(H2PO4) |
| ⓘ | Biphosphammite | 8.AD.15 | NH4(H2PO4) |
| ⓘ | Chlorapatite | 8.BN.05 | Ca5(PO4)3Cl |
| ⓘ | Fluorapatite | 8.BN.05 | Ca5(PO4)3F |
| ⓘ | Hydroxylapatite | 8.BN.05 | Ca5(PO4)3(OH) |
| ⓘ | Hopeite | 8.CA.30 | ZnZn2(PO4)2 · 4H2O |
| ⓘ | Collinsite | 8.CG.05 | Ca2Mg(PO4)2 · 2H2O |
| ⓘ | Ardealite | 8.CJ.50 | Ca2(PO3OH)(SO4) · 4H2O |
| ⓘ | Brushite | 8.CJ.50 | Ca(PO3OH) · 2H2O |
List of minerals for each chemical element
| H | Hydrogen | |
|---|---|---|
| H | ⓘ Archerite | (K,NH4)(H2PO4) |
| H | ⓘ Ardealite | Ca2(PO3OH)(SO4) · 4H2O |
| H | ⓘ Biphosphammite | NH4(H2PO4) |
| H | ⓘ Brushite | Ca(PO3OH) · 2H2O |
| H | ⓘ Cesanite | Na3Ca2(SO4)3(OH) |
| H | ⓘ Collinsite | Ca2Mg(PO4)2 · 2H2O |
| H | ⓘ Darapskite | Na3(SO4)(NO3) · H2O |
| H | ⓘ Gypsum | CaSO4 · 2H2O |
| H | ⓘ Hydroxylapatite | Ca5(PO4)3(OH) |
| H | ⓘ Hopeite | ZnZn2(PO4)2 · 4H2O |
| H | ⓘ Monetite | Ca(PO3OH) |
| H | ⓘ Whitlockite | Ca9Mg(PO4)6(PO3OH) |
| C | Carbon | |
| C | ⓘ Aragonite | CaCO3 |
| C | ⓘ Calcite | CaCO3 |
| N | Nitrogen | |
| N | ⓘ Archerite | (K,NH4)(H2PO4) |
| N | ⓘ Biphosphammite | NH4(H2PO4) |
| N | ⓘ Darapskite | Na3(SO4)(NO3) · H2O |
| N | ⓘ Nitratine | NaNO3 |
| N | ⓘ Niter | KNO3 |
| O | Oxygen | |
| O | ⓘ Aragonite | CaCO3 |
| O | ⓘ Archerite | (K,NH4)(H2PO4) |
| O | ⓘ Ardealite | Ca2(PO3OH)(SO4) · 4H2O |
| O | ⓘ Biphosphammite | NH4(H2PO4) |
| O | ⓘ Brushite | Ca(PO3OH) · 2H2O |
| O | ⓘ Calcite | CaCO3 |
| O | ⓘ Celestine | SrSO4 |
| O | ⓘ Cesanite | Na3Ca2(SO4)3(OH) |
| O | ⓘ Chlorapatite | Ca5(PO4)3Cl |
| O | ⓘ Collinsite | Ca2Mg(PO4)2 · 2H2O |
| O | ⓘ Darapskite | Na3(SO4)(NO3) · H2O |
| O | ⓘ Fluorapatite | Ca5(PO4)3F |
| O | ⓘ Gypsum | CaSO4 · 2H2O |
| O | ⓘ Hydroxylapatite | Ca5(PO4)3(OH) |
| O | ⓘ Hopeite | ZnZn2(PO4)2 · 4H2O |
| O | ⓘ Monetite | Ca(PO3OH) |
| O | ⓘ Nitratine | NaNO3 |
| O | ⓘ Niter | KNO3 |
| O | ⓘ Whitlockite | Ca9Mg(PO4)6(PO3OH) |
| F | Fluorine | |
| F | ⓘ Fluorapatite | Ca5(PO4)3F |
| Na | Sodium | |
| Na | ⓘ Cesanite | Na3Ca2(SO4)3(OH) |
| Na | ⓘ Darapskite | Na3(SO4)(NO3) · H2O |
| Na | ⓘ Halite | NaCl |
| Na | ⓘ Nitratine | NaNO3 |
| Mg | Magnesium | |
| Mg | ⓘ Collinsite | Ca2Mg(PO4)2 · 2H2O |
| Mg | ⓘ Whitlockite | Ca9Mg(PO4)6(PO3OH) |
| P | Phosphorus | |
| P | ⓘ Archerite | (K,NH4)(H2PO4) |
| P | ⓘ Ardealite | Ca2(PO3OH)(SO4) · 4H2O |
| P | ⓘ Biphosphammite | NH4(H2PO4) |
| P | ⓘ Brushite | Ca(PO3OH) · 2H2O |
| P | ⓘ Chlorapatite | Ca5(PO4)3Cl |
| P | ⓘ Collinsite | Ca2Mg(PO4)2 · 2H2O |
| P | ⓘ Fluorapatite | Ca5(PO4)3F |
| P | ⓘ Hydroxylapatite | Ca5(PO4)3(OH) |
| P | ⓘ Hopeite | ZnZn2(PO4)2 · 4H2O |
| P | ⓘ Monetite | Ca(PO3OH) |
| P | ⓘ Whitlockite | Ca9Mg(PO4)6(PO3OH) |
| S | Sulfur | |
| S | ⓘ Ardealite | Ca2(PO3OH)(SO4) · 4H2O |
| S | ⓘ Celestine | SrSO4 |
| S | ⓘ Cesanite | Na3Ca2(SO4)3(OH) |
| S | ⓘ Darapskite | Na3(SO4)(NO3) · H2O |
| S | ⓘ Gypsum | CaSO4 · 2H2O |
| Cl | Chlorine | |
| Cl | ⓘ Chlorapatite | Ca5(PO4)3Cl |
| Cl | ⓘ Halite | NaCl |
| K | Potassium | |
| K | ⓘ Archerite | (K,NH4)(H2PO4) |
| K | ⓘ Niter | KNO3 |
| Ca | Calcium | |
| Ca | ⓘ Aragonite | CaCO3 |
| Ca | ⓘ Ardealite | Ca2(PO3OH)(SO4) · 4H2O |
| Ca | ⓘ Brushite | Ca(PO3OH) · 2H2O |
| Ca | ⓘ Calcite | CaCO3 |
| Ca | ⓘ Cesanite | Na3Ca2(SO4)3(OH) |
| Ca | ⓘ Chlorapatite | Ca5(PO4)3Cl |
| Ca | ⓘ Collinsite | Ca2Mg(PO4)2 · 2H2O |
| Ca | ⓘ Fluorapatite | Ca5(PO4)3F |
| Ca | ⓘ Gypsum | CaSO4 · 2H2O |
| Ca | ⓘ Hydroxylapatite | Ca5(PO4)3(OH) |
| Ca | ⓘ Monetite | Ca(PO3OH) |
| Ca | ⓘ Whitlockite | Ca9Mg(PO4)6(PO3OH) |
| Zn | Zinc | |
| Zn | ⓘ Hopeite | ZnZn2(PO4)2 · 4H2O |
| Sr | Strontium | |
| Sr | ⓘ Celestine | SrSO4 |
Fossils
There are 243 fossil localities from the PaleoBioDB database within this region.These data are provided on an experimental basis and are taken from external databases. Mindat.org has no control currently over the accuracy of these data.
| Occurrences | 243 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Youngest Fossil Listed | 0.01 Ma (Pleistocene) | ||||||
| Oldest Fossil Listed | 0.78 Ma (Pleistocene) | ||||||
| Stratigraphic Units |
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| Fossils from Region | Click here to show the list. | ||||||
| Fossil Localities | Click to show 6 fossil localities |
Localities in this Region
- San Salvador District
- San Salvador Island
- San Salvador caves
- San Salvador Island
Other Regions, Features and Areas that Intersect
Atlantic OceanOcean
North America
- Central AmericaSubregion
North America PlateTectonic Plate
- Bahama PlatformPassive Margin
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References
