Geoelectrical Classification of Gypsum Rocks

Gypsum rocks are widely exploited in the world as industrial minerals. The purity of the gypsum rocks (percentage in gypsum mineral in the whole rock) is a critical factor to evaluate the potential exploitability of a gypsum deposit. It is considered than purities higher than 80% in gypsum are required to be economically profitable. Gypsum deposits have been studied with geoelectrical methods; a direct relationship between the electrical resistivity values of the gypsum rocks and its lithological composition has been established, with the presence of lutites being the main controlling factor in the geoelectrical response of the deposit. This phenomenon has been quantified in the present study, by means of a combination of theoretical calculations, laboratory measurements and field data acquisition. Direct modelling has been performed; the data have been inverted to obtain the mean electrical resistivity of the models. The laboratory measurements have been obtained from artificial gypsum-clay mixture pills, and the electrical resistivity has been measured using a simple electrical circuit with direct current power supply. Finally, electrical resistivity tomography data have been acquired in different evaporite Tertiary basins located in North East Spain; the selected gypsum deposits have different gypsum compositions. The geoelectrical response of gypsum rocks has been determined by comparing the resistivity values obtained from theoretical models, laboratory tests and field examples. A geoelectrical classification of gypsum rocks defining three types of gypsum rocks has been elaborated: (a) Pure Gypsum Rocks (>75% of gypsum content), (b) Transitional Gypsum Rocks (75–55%), and (c) Lutites and Gypsum-rich Lutites (<55%). From the economic point of view, the Pure Gypsum Rocks, displaying a resistivity value of >800 ohm.m, can be exploited as industrial rocks. The methodology used could be applied in other geoelectrical rock studies, given that this relationship between the resistive particles embedded within a conductive matrix depends on the connectivity of the matrix particles.