In Canada, in the northern part of the Nova Scotia province, we can find many gypsum outcrops of the Carboniferous age. One of them is a closed gypsum quarry at Dingwall, whose activity has been closed since 1955. The general profile of this place presents 8 m of gypsum and 10 m of anhydrite. Anhydrite as chemically unstable mineral is subjected to atmospheric factors, including rain and snow, which results in chemical transformation and the formation of secondary gypsum.
Site at Dingwall
Site at Pisky
The tiny village of Piski in western Ukraine, in the Lviv region, is located within the outcrop of the Badenian gypsum. For this reason, in the previous century, a gypsum quarry was created, which has now practically lost its importance. Similarly as at Dingwall, during exploration of gypsum layers, anhydrite was discovered which turns into gypsum under the influence of water activity.
Another place with weathered anhydrite can be found in the central part of Germany between the towns of Walkenried and Bad Sachsa, towns in Lower Saxony. That’s where the gypsum-anhydrite plateau is visible, and impressive in terms of its panorama and scenery. This plateau was created in a natural way and is covered with forest.
