Owlscrying Posted October 28, 2008 #1 Share Posted October 28, 2008 Hidden deep beneath the surface of the Earth is one of the greatest natural marvels on the planet: a giant crystal cave packed with crystals up to 36 feet long and weighing 55 tons. Buried a thousand feet below Naica mountain in the Chihuahuan Desert of Mexico, the cave was discovered by two miners excavating a new tunnel for a commercial lead and silver mine. Known as Mexico's Cueva de los Cristales (Cave of Crystals) it contains some of the world's largest known natural crystals–translucent beams of gypsum as long as 36 feet and softer than human nails. The crystals thrived in the cave's extremely rare and stable natural environment. Temperatures hovered consistently around a steamy 136 degrees Fahrenheit (58 degrees Celsius), and the cave was filled with mineral-rich water that drove the crystals' growth. However, if a human was exposed to the scorching temperatures of the cavern, it could kill him after just 15 minutes of exposure. The cave's deadly heat comes from the depths of the Earth. Naica sits on a set of fault lines. A magma chamber a mile-and-a-half down warms the water that flows throughout the mountain Modern-day mining operations exposed the natural wonder by pumping water out of the 30-by-90-foot cave, which was found in 2000 near the town of Delicias. Naica is one of the most productive lead mines in the world, and a huge supplier of the world's silver as well. Now the mining company has been asked to preserve the caves. "There is no other place on the planet," said geologist Juan Manuel García-Ruiz. The stunning crystal pillars are made from the same common mineral as drywall, which is called gypsum. The largest crystal found at Naica is 500,000 years old. Source / Pic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lordstanley Posted October 29, 2008 #2 Share Posted October 29, 2008 I just posted this on my forum. I really want to go there before i die! It is truly a magical place....sweet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WraithGod Posted October 31, 2008 #3 Share Posted October 31, 2008 That looks incredible, but since I will probably never make it there in my life, I wish they had something in the pic for scale so we can truly appreciate it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myles Posted October 31, 2008 #4 Share Posted October 31, 2008 That looks incredible, but since I will probably never make it there in my life, I wish they had something in the pic for scale so we can truly appreciate it. Did you miss the 4 people in the pic? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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