The Pulpí Geode (Spanish: Geoda de Pulpí) is a giant

geode A geode (; ) is a geology, geological secondary formation within sedimentary rock, sedimentary and volcanic rocks. Geodes are hollow, vaguely spherical rocks, in which masses of mineral matter (which may include crystals) are secluded. The crys ...

found in

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

near the town of Pulpí (

Province of Almería Almería (, also ; ) is a province of the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. It was named after the Arab ruler of Taifa, Banu Al-Miri. It is bordered by the provinces of Granada, Murcia, and the Mediterranean Sea. Its capital is the homony ...

) in December 1999, by Javier Garcia-Guinea of the Grupo Mineralogista de Madrid. This geode is one of the largest documented geodes in the world to date. It occupies a space of , measuring with an average height of , and is located at a depth of in the Pilar de Jaravía mine, in the Sierra del Aguilón, in the municipality of Pulpí, from the coast. The geode has a funnel shape, with the narrowest part being L-shaped. It is notable on a worldwide scale for both its size and the transparency and perfection of the selenite (gypsum) crystals lining the interior, which reach up to in length, with being the average. The abandoned silver-lead mine is now a

geoheritage Geoheritage (a blend of ''geological'' and ''heritage'') is the geological aspect of natural and cultural heritage. A geosite is a particular geological heritage asset. It is a heritage category comparable to other forms of natural heritage, such ...

site attracting geotourists. The geode was damaged by vandals at the end of 2021, but the damage was not as severe as first thought. The latest scientific research, on the origin of the geode, was published on 23 March 2022; the research was led by Fernando Gázquez of the University of Almeria, with the conclusion that the gypsum crystals were formed between 164 ± 15 thousand and 60 thousand years ago, in the upper

Pleistocene The Pleistocene ( ; referred to colloquially as the ''ice age, Ice Age'') is the geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from to 11,700 years ago, spanning the Earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. Before a change was fin ...

, from a freshwater

aquifer An aquifer is an underground layer of water-bearing material, consisting of permeability (Earth sciences), permeable or fractured rock, or of unconsolidated materials (gravel, sand, or silt). Aquifers vary greatly in their characteristics. The s ...

(with very little evidence of brackish or sea water, as suggested previously).

References

External links

The Pulpí gigantic geode (Almería, Spain): geology, metal pollution, microclimatology, and conservation

Pilar de Jaravía; La geoda gigante de la Mina Rica (in Spanish)
*La Geoda de Pulpí website: https://www.geodapulpi.es/ Rocks Geology of Spain {{Andalusia-geo-stub