- Cave of the Crystals
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Coordinates: 27°51′3″N 105°29′47″W / 27.85083°N 105.49639°W
Cueva de los Cristales
(Cave of the Crystals)
A man standing in the cave.Location Naica, Saucillo Municipality, Chihuahua, Mexico Depth 300 m (980 ft) Length 27 m (89 ft) Discovery 2000 Geology limestone Hazards high temperature and humidity Access Privately owned 
Water-clear selenite crystal "floater" from the Naica Mine. Size: 18 x 14 x 13 cm., weight 2.6 kg.
Selenite "sword", 22.6 x 2.6 x 1.6 cm. A small version of the giant crystals, likely found in a natural cavity in the mine. Note the exceptional clarity of the crystal.Cave of the Crystals or Giant Crystal Cave (Spanish: Cueva de los Cristales) is a cave connected to the Naica Mine 300 metres (980 ft) below the surface in Naica, Chihuahua, Mexico. The main chamber contains giant selenite crystals, some of the largest natural crystals ever found.[1] The cave's largest crystal found to date is 11 m (36 ft) in length, 4 m (13 ft) in diameter and 55 tons in weight. The cave is extremely hot with air temperatures reaching up to 58 °C (136 °F)[2] with 90 to 99 percent humidity. The cave is relatively unexplored due to these factors.[3] Without proper protection people can only endure approximately ten minutes of exposure at a time.[4]
A group of scientists known as the Naica Project have been heavily involved in researching these caverns.[5]
Contents
Formation of the crystals
Naica lies on an ancient fault and there is an underground magma chamber below the cave. The magma heated the ground water and it became saturated with minerals, including large quantities of gypsum. The hollow space of the cave was filled with this mineral rich hot water and remained filled for about 500,000 years. During this time, the temperature of the water remained very stable at over 50°C. This allowed crystals to form and grow to immense sizes.[6]
Discovery
In 1910 miners discovered a cavern beneath the Naica mine workings, the Cave of Swords (Spanish: Cueva de las Espadas). It is located at a depth of 120 m, above the Cave of Crystals, and contains spectacular, smaller (1 m long) crystals. It is speculated that at this level, transition temperatures may have fallen much more rapidly, leading to an end in the growth of the crystals.[1]
The Giant Crystal cave was discovered in 2000 by miners excavating a new tunnel for the Industrias Peñoles mining company located in Naica, Mexico,[7] while drilling through the Naica fault, which they were concerned would flood the mine.[8] The mining complex in Naica contains substantial deposits of silver, zinc, and lead.
The Cave of Crystals is a horseshoe-shaped cavity in limestone rock. Its floor is covered with perfectly-faceted crystalline blocks. Huge crystal beams jut out from both the blocks and the floor. The caves are accessible today because the mining company's pumping operations keep them clear of water. If the pumping were stopped, the caves would again be submerged. The crystals deteriorate in air, so the Naica Project is attempting to visually document the crystals before they deteriorate further. [9]
A further chamber was found in a drilling project in 2009. The new cave, named the Ice Palace, is 150 m deep and is not flooded, but its crystal formations are much smaller, with small 'cauliflower' formations and fine, threadlike crystals.[10]
Future closure
The cave was featured on the Discovery Channel program Naica: Beyond The Crystal Cave in February 2011. Exploration hinted at the existence of further chambers, but further exploration would have required demolition of the crystals. It was stated that the cave would eventually be resealed and the water level allowed to rise again.[11]
Notes
- ^ a b Lovgren, Stefan (2007-04-06). "Giant Crystal Cave's Mystery Solved". National Geographic News. National Geographic Society. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/04/070406-giant-crystals.html. Retrieved 2010-10-22.
- ^ "Giant Crystal Cave Comes to Light". http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/04/photogalleries/giant-crystals-cave/. Retrieved 2010-02-07.
- ^ BBC (19 January 2010). "A rare glimpse of the cave of crystals". BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8466493.stm. Retrieved 2010-01-19.
- ^ Shea, Neil (November 2008). "Crystal palace". National Geographic magazine. http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/11/crystal-giants/shea-text/1. Retrieved 2009-06-12.
- ^ "NAICA Project web site". NAICA Project. http://www.naica.com.mx/english/index.htm. Retrieved 2010-10-22.
- ^ www.stormchaser.ca
- ^ Map http://www.mindat.org/loc-2308.html
- ^ Crystal Links http://www.crystalinks.com/mexicocrystals.html
- ^ Visual Rescue at Naica Project
- ^ Than, Ker (2010-10-07). "Giant Crystal Caves Yield New "Ice Palace," More". National Geographic News. National Geographic Society. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/10/101007-lost-crystal-caves-mexico-science-mine-superman-ice-palace/. Retrieved 2010-10-21.
- ^ "NAICA: BEYOND THE CRYSTAL CAVE and DEADLY DESCENT Reveal Worlds Beneath the Earth’s Surface, February 13 on Discovery Channel" (Press release). ctvmedia.com. February 8, 2011. http://www.ctvmedia.ca/discovery/releases/release.asp?id=13468&yyyy=2011. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
External links
- Naica Project, comprehensive website on the Crystal Caves with geology, history, photos and videos
- BBC page on the cave with video
- Discovery Channel - Crystal Cave photos
- Discovery of the Largest Crystals on Earth by Richard D. Fisher
- Naica Crystal Caves at Caves of Mexico
- Giant Crystal project
- Crystal Cave of Giants, account of a 2009 visit by George Kourounis
Categories:- Caves of Mexico
- Geology of Mexico
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