In the spring of 2000 the Department of Geological Sciences at University of Manitoba launched a research project aimed at understanding the occurances of gypsum rosettes. The rosettes have been found in several southern Manitoba locations including the Red River Floodway, Lettelier, and Bird's Hill. They are composed of gypsum which is a very soft mineral, so the rosettes are very fragile. Gypsum is an evaporite, evaporites form when saline water evaporates and the dissolved ions crystalize forming minerals. The rosettes are a special form of evaporites, they only form in situ in clays. The gypsum rosettes found in southern Manitoba are formed in clays left behind from glacial Lake Agassiz. The gypsum can also be found in the form of nodules or crystals that are very small and are usually found in beds or near the rosettes. When the crystals grow in balls or aggregates they form the rosettes, which can reach sizes up to ten centimetres in diameter.
The Department of Geological Sciences is always trying to find ways to get high school students interested in the field. In the gypsum rosette project they saw the perfect opportunity, so the department teamed up with Dr. Anne Walker, a teacher from Glenlawn Collegiate, to get the students attending Glenlawn Collegiate involved in the project. The Grade 10, 11 and 12 chemistry and physics students got to experience first hand what it was like working as a geoscientist. Click here to find out more about the outreach program.