Gypsum-ghost limestones and selenitic gypsum relation of the Osiek-Baranów Sandomierski sulphur deposit

Abstract

The most spectacular feature of the Polish native sulphur deposits is postselenitic gypsum fabric forming gypsum-ghost facies (composed of empty spaces or so-called calcite or calcite-sulphur pseudomorphs after selenite gypsum). These rocks are often used as the cardinal argument for the bioepigenesis of Polish native sulphur ores. A comparative study of regional characteristics of both gypsum-ghost facies and selenite gypsum deposits as well as their particular subfacies clearly indicates that these facies significantly differ in: (1) both horizontal and vertical distribution patterns, (2) thicknesses, (3) frequency in vertical sections, and (4) percentage of the Chemical Series sections. This indicates that features of the gypsum-ghost facies are distinctly inconsistent with the features of coarse-crystalline gypsum beds. Therefore, gypsum-ghost limestones cannot be correlated or accepted as an analog of the selenite gypsum lithotypes as has been commonly assumed so far.