The popular Zante beach of Kalamaki is one of the longest beaches in Zante, stretching from Crystal beach right down to Laganas. The rocky cliff, at the far end of Kalamaki beach, at Crystal beach, consists of gypsum, and is a beautiful sight sparkling in the sun.
The Island of Zakynthos is divided into the western part with lies in the Pre-Apulian Zone and the eastern part lies in the Ionian Zone. These two zones are divided by the Ionian thrust fault whose emplacement took place in the Early Pliocene.
In Kalamaki area, located over Ionian basement, the shallow water environment led to the deposition of the primary gypsum.
Gypsum is sulfate mineral (chemically calcium sulfate dihydrate - CaSO4·2H2O). Gypsum forms tabular crystals, often twinned. This mineral also occurs in granular or fibrous form. Gypsum also crystallizes as translucent crystals of selenite. It forms as an evaporite mineral and as a hydration product of anhydrite.
Color of mineral is Colorless (in transmitted light) to white, due to impurities may be yellow, pink, dark brown, reddish brown or gray. It is a transparent to opaque mineral, it has a glass luster, the solid forms are matte, the fibrous form has a silky luster.
Gypsum is very soft, it dissolves in acids, it also dissolves very slightly in water. Hardness value of mineral gypsum according The Mohs scale of mineral hardness is 2. Scratch of gypsum is white.
The word gypsum is derived from the Greek word γύψος (gypsos), "plaster".
The beach at Kalamaki has restricted opening times, closed from sunset to sunrise, due to the nesting times of the Caretta Caretta Loggerhead turtles.
Sources: explore-zakynthos.com, Wikipedia, justgreece.com, scienceparkzakynthos.wordpress.com
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