New insights on gypsum twinned crystals: mineralogical implications for natural gypsum deposits

Identifying the impurities that promote the selection of specific twin laws of gypsum has relevant implications for the geological studies aimed at interpreting the gypsum depositional environments both in ancient and modern deposits, and overall, on Mars surface, where “swallowtail” gypsum twin habit has been recently observed. However, because of the limited knowledge of morphological, crystallographic, and optical characteristics of the five twin laws of gypsum, relatively little has been done to understand which impurities exert a critical role in the selection of different twin laws and how this may impact our awareness about their occurrence in nature. Typically, the 100-contact twin law has been the only twin law of gypsum known so far in nature. However, some sedimentological-stratigraphic studies suggested this might not be the only widespread one. In this work, we firstly provide a geometric-crystallographic background of the five twin laws of gypsum, allowing researchers to recognize the twin laws only by the measurement of i) their re-entrant angle value and ii) the extinction angle formed between the two individuals using crossed polarizers in optical microscopy. Moreover, we show specific crystal growth laboratory experiments designed to improve our understanding of different habits and twin laws of gypsum occurring with and without the addition of carbonate ions in solution. The main results suggest that the different orientation of primary fluid inclusions with respect to the twin plane, and the main elongation of the sub-crystals making the twin, are a useful tool to distinguish between 100 and -101 twin laws, whose geometry is otherwise very hard to distinguish, especially in rock samples. Moreover, gypsum twins obtained by crystal growth laboratory experiments are compared with those detected in natural environments and the occurrence of the -101 twin law is suggested occurring in evaporitic-sedimentary environments. These results provide new insights into the mineralogical implications of twinned gypsum crystals and their potential use as a tool for a deeper comprehension of the natural gypsum deposits.