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Frasassi Caves (Grotte di Frasassi; Fiume-Vento karst system; Grotta del Fiume-Grotta Grande del Vento karst complex; Grotta Grande del Vento), Genga, Ancona Province, Marche, Italyi
Regional Level Types
Frasassi Caves (Grotte di Frasassi; Fiume-Vento karst system; Grotta del Fiume-Grotta Grande del Vento karst complex; Grotta Grande del Vento)Group of Caves
GengaCommune
Ancona ProvinceProvince
MarcheRegion
ItalyCountry

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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
43° 24' 2'' North , 12° 57' 42'' East
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
43.40083,12.96194
GRN:
N29E07
Type:
Group of Caves
Köppen climate type:
Cfb : Temperate oceanic climate
Nearest Settlements:
PlacePopulationDistance
San Vittore107 (2014)0.8km
Pierosara140 (2014)1.3km
Genga Stazione153 (2014)1.4km
Camponocecchio113 (2014)1.7km
Valtreara112 (2014)1.9km
Mindat Locality ID:
220847
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:2:220847:6
GUID (UUID V4):
0
Other Languages:
Italian:
Grotte di Frasassi (Complesso carsico Grotta del Fiume-Grotta Grande del Vento; Grotta Grande del Vento), Genga, Provincia di Ancona, Marche, Italia


Karst cave system at 200-500 m a.s.l. in the Frasassi Gorge, inside Jurassic limestone. Although the Grotta Beata Vergine-Grotta del Mezzogiorno cave complex had been known for a long time (Procaccini Ricci, 1809), the most significant caves of the complex have been discovered only in more recent times (Grotta del Fiume in 1948 and Grotta Grande del Vento in 1971).


Gypsum "moonmilk" deposits have been described in the Fiume-Vento cave complex (Cucchi & Forti, 1988) and recently in Grotta Bella and Ramo Sulfureo (Mansor et al., 2018). A significant baryte deposit hosted in fossil branches has been described by Perna (1973).

Select Mineral List Type

Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical Elements

Mineral List


7 valid minerals.

Rock Types Recorded


Select Rock List Type

Alphabetical List Tree Diagram

Detailed Mineral List:

ⓘ Baryte
Formula: BaSO4
ⓘ Calcite
Formula: CaCO3
ⓘ Dolomite
Formula: CaMg(CO3)2
ⓘ Gypsum
Formula: CaSO4 · 2H2O
References:
Bertolani, M., Garuti, G., Rossi, A., Bertolani Marchetti, M. (1976) Motivi di interesse mineralogico e petrografico nel complesso carsico Grotta Grande del Vento-Grotta del Fiume. Le Grotte d’Italia, 4, 4, 109-144
Cucchi, F., and Forti P. (1988) Speleogenetic evolution of Fiume-Vento karst system (San Vittore Genga-Marche). International Symposium of Physics, Chemistry and Hydrology Reservoir of Karst, Kosice, pages 193-199
Galdenzi, S. (1989) I depositi gessosi nelle grotte calcaree di Frasassi: giacitura ed origine. Atti del XV Congresso Nazionale di Speleologia, Castellana Grotte, 10-13 settembre 1987, 251-258
Bocchini, A., Coltorti, M. (1990) Il complesso carsico Grotta del Fiume-Grotta Grande del Vento e l'evoluzione geomorfologica della Gola di Frasassi. Memorie dell'Istituto Italiano di Speleologia, serie 2, 4, 155-180
Galdenzi, S. (1990) Un modello genetico per la Grotta Grande del Vento. Memorie dell'Istituto Italiano di Speleologia, serie 2, 4, 123-142
Galdenzi, S., and Menichetti, M. (1995) Occurrence of hypogenic caves in a karst region: Examples from central Italy. Environmental Geology, 26, 39-47
D'Angeli, I. M., Carbone, C., Nagostinis, M., Parise, M., Vattano, M., Madonia, G., and De Waele, J. (2018) New insights on secondary minerals from Italian sulfuric acid caves. International Journal of Speleology, 47, 3, 271-291.
Mansor, M., Harouaka, K., Gonzales, M.S., Macalady, J.L., and Fantle, M.S. (2018) Transport-induced spatial patterns of sulfur isotopes (δ34S) as biosignature. Astrobiology, 18, 1, 1-14.
ⓘ 'Hydrohalloysite'
Formula: Al2Si2O5(OH)4 · 2H2O
ⓘ Jarosite
Formula: KFe3+3(SO4)2(OH)6
ⓘ 'Micrite'
ⓘ Opal
Formula: SiO2 · nH2O
ⓘ Pyrite
Formula: FeS2
ⓘ 'Snottite'

Gallery:

List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification

Group 2 - Sulphides and Sulfosalts
ⓘPyrite2.EB.05aFeS2
Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides
ⓘOpal4.DA.10SiO2 · nH2O
Group 5 - Nitrates and Carbonates
ⓘCalcite5.AB.05CaCO3
ⓘDolomite5.AB.10CaMg(CO3)2
Group 7 - Sulphates, Chromates, Molybdates and Tungstates
ⓘBaryte7.AD.35BaSO4
ⓘJarosite7.BC.10KFe3+3(SO4)2(OH)6
ⓘGypsum7.CD.40CaSO4 · 2H2O
Group 9 - Silicates
ⓘ'Hydrohalloysite'9.ED.10Al2Si2O5(OH)4 · 2H2O
Unclassified
ⓘ'Snottite'-
ⓘ'Micrite'-

List of minerals for each chemical element

HHydrogen
Hⓘ GypsumCaSO4 · 2H2O
Hⓘ JarositeKFe33+(SO4)2(OH)6
Hⓘ OpalSiO2 · nH2O
Hⓘ HydrohalloysiteAl2Si2O5(OH)4 · 2H2O
CCarbon
Cⓘ CalciteCaCO3
Cⓘ DolomiteCaMg(CO3)2
OOxygen
Oⓘ BaryteBaSO4
Oⓘ CalciteCaCO3
Oⓘ DolomiteCaMg(CO3)2
Oⓘ GypsumCaSO4 · 2H2O
Oⓘ JarositeKFe33+(SO4)2(OH)6
Oⓘ OpalSiO2 · nH2O
Oⓘ HydrohalloysiteAl2Si2O5(OH)4 · 2H2O
MgMagnesium
Mgⓘ DolomiteCaMg(CO3)2
AlAluminium
Alⓘ HydrohalloysiteAl2Si2O5(OH)4 · 2H2O
SiSilicon
Siⓘ OpalSiO2 · nH2O
Siⓘ HydrohalloysiteAl2Si2O5(OH)4 · 2H2O
SSulfur
Sⓘ BaryteBaSO4
Sⓘ GypsumCaSO4 · 2H2O
Sⓘ JarositeKFe33+(SO4)2(OH)6
Sⓘ PyriteFeS2
KPotassium
Kⓘ JarositeKFe33+(SO4)2(OH)6
CaCalcium
Caⓘ CalciteCaCO3
Caⓘ DolomiteCaMg(CO3)2
Caⓘ GypsumCaSO4 · 2H2O
FeIron
Feⓘ JarositeKFe33+(SO4)2(OH)6
Feⓘ PyriteFeS2
BaBarium
Baⓘ BaryteBaSO4

Other Databases

Wikipedia:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frasassi_Caves
Wikidata ID:Q1994964

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

Eurasian PlateTectonic Plate
EuropeContinent

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References

Procaccini Ricci, V. (1809) Memoria su la grotta di Frasassi nei contorni di Fabriano dipartimento del Musone dell'italico regno. Lazzarini, Senigallia, 121 pages.
Perna, G. (1973) Fenomeni carsici e giacimenti minerari. Le Grotte d’Italia, 4, 3, 5-44
Bertolani, M., Garuti, G., Rossi, A., Bertolani Marchetti, D. (1976) Motivi di interesse mineralogico-petrografico nel complesso carsico Grotta Grande del Vento-Grotta del Fiume (Genga, Ancona). Le Grotte d’Italia, 4(6), 109-144.
Cucchi, F., Forti P. (1988) Speleogenetic evolution of Fiume-Vento karst system (San Vittore Genga-Marche). International Symposium of Physics, Chemistry and Hydrology Reservoir of Karst, Kosice, 193-199.
Galdenzi, S. (1989) I depositi gessosi nelle grotte calcaree di Frasassi: giacitura ed origine. Atti del XV Congresso Nazionale di Speleologia, Castellana Grotte, 10-13 settembre 1987, 251-258
Bocchini, A., Coltorti, M. (1990) Il complesso carsico Grotta del Fiume-Grotta Grande del Vento e l'evoluzione geomorfologica della Gola di Frasassi. Memorie dell'Istituto Italiano di Speleologia, serie 2, 4, 155-180
Galdenzi, S. (1990) Un modello genetico per la Grotta Grande del Vento. Memorie dell'Istituto Italiano di Speleologia, serie 2, 4, 123-142
Galdenzi S., Menichetti M. (1995): Occurrence of hypogenic caves in a karst region: Examples from central Italy. Environmental Geology, 26, 39-47.
Galdenzi, S. (2001) L’azione morfogenica delle acque sulfuree nelle grotte di Frasassi, Acquasanta Terme (Appennino Umbro-Marchigiano, Italia) e di Movile (Dobrogea, Romania). Le Grotte d’Italia, 5(2), 49-61.
Tuccimei, P., Borsato, A., Forti, P., Frisia, S., Paladini, M., Piccini, L., Salzano, R., Sauro, U. (2003) Ricostruzione climatica dell’Olocene-Pleistocene superiore da una stalagmite del sistema carsico “Grotta del Fiume - Grotta Grande del Vento” (Gola di Frasassi, Ancona, Italia). Studi Trentini di Scienze Naturali, Acta Geologica, 80, 139-151.
Macalady, J.L., Jones, D.S, Lyon, E.H. (2007) Extremely acidic, pendulous cave wall biofilms from the Frasassi cave system, Italy. Environmental Microbiology, 9(6), 1402-1414.
Mansor, M., Harouaka, K., Gonzales, M.S., Macalady, J.L., Fantle, M.S. (2018) Transport-induced spatial patterns of sulfur isotopes (δ34S) as biosignature. Astrobiology, 18(1), 1-14.
D'Angeli, I. M., Carbone, C., Nagostinis, M., Parise, M., Vattano, M., Madonia, G., De Waele, J. (2018) New insights on secondary minerals from Italian sulfuric acid caves. International Journal of Speleology, 47(3), 271-291.
Galdenzi, Sandro (2025) Geological Map of the Frasassi Gorge (Northern Apennines, Italy). Geosciences, 15 (12). doi:10.3390/geosciences15120454
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