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Abstract:

The 87Sr/86Sr ratio of several gypsum speleothems from the caves of the Naica Mine (Chihuahua, Mexico) has been determined in order to evaluate the origin of the saline solution from which they precipitated. The 87Sr/86Sr ratios of the huge selenite crystals from the Cristales Cave (-290 m Level) and of the gypsum core of the “espadas” speleothems from the Espadas Cave (-120 m Level) are 0.707337 and 0.708343, respectively. These values are slightly higher than that of the carbonate host rock (0.7072) as well as that of the Tertiary felsic dikes emplaced in the carbonate sequence (0.7080). They are also lower than those expected for crystallization from seepage water solutions (>0.7090). Therefore, the 87Sr/86Sr values determined for the speleothems at Naica suggest that gypsum in these caves precipitated from a mixture of infiltration water and thermal water. The 87Sr/86Sr ratio of gypsum speleothems is regarded as a useful indicator to infer the rela- tive contribution of meteoric deep thermal water solutions during the genesis of the Naica’s gypsum speleothems.