Crystal mountain
| Crystal mountain | ||
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 Crystal Mountain Rock Formation (2005) |
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| location | Egypt | |
| Coordinates | 27 ° 39 '0 " N , 28 ° 26' 0" E | |
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The Kristallberg (English: Crystal Mountain , Arabic: Gebel el-Izaz , locally alsoالحجر المخروم al-Haǧar al-Machrūm, el-Hagar el-Makhrum 'the holed stone') is a ridge between the Bahariya and Farafra oasesat the northern end of the White Desert National Park. It consists of arock opening framedby crystals .
The rock formation was discovered by chance during road works on the link from Farafra to Bahariya, during which the sub-volcanic vault was opened and partially destroyed.
The eponymous crystals reach lengths of several centimeters to a few decimeters. They consist of barite ( barite , BaSO 4 ) and / or calcite (CaCO 3 ), are usually very well crystallized and colorlessly transparent to white translucent.
Due to the extraordinary crystal formations, the Kristallberg became a major tourist attraction .
geology
The sub-volcanic vault was probably formed during the Oligocene . The visible layers of white deserts limestone that probably in the late Cretaceous period was, and younger, in anthracite converted coal flöz and hydrothermally impregnated, reddish to brownish iron-containing rock layers.
The crystals formed from rising hydrothermal solutions , which dissolved barium sulfate (BaSO 4 ) and calcium carbonate (CaCO 3 ) in high concentrations from the surrounding sedimentary rocks . Inside of cavities ( geodes ) and domes formed by gases, the solutions slowly cooled, causing the large, columnar crystals to precipitate .
Web links
- The Crystal Mountain in Egypt at geologyin.com
- Mineral Atlas : The White Desert - Egypt (with articles and pictures of the Crystal Mountain or Crystal Mountains)