Cave Of Crystals: This Fascinating Cave In Mexico Is Straight Out Of Science Fiction

The world we live in is a very fascinating place. Around the globe, there are places that have their own unique features. Features that are not just unique can also seem mind-boggling.

There are many mysterious places in the world, but none more compelling than the Cave of Crystals or Giant Crystal Cave, in Mexico. Deep down in the bowels of the Earth, the cave is a working mine that is popular for its extraordinary selenite crystals.

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The extraordinary cave was discovered in 2000 by two brothers who were searching for fresh ore deposits in Naica Mountain, National Geographic reported. They came across an unexpected and awesome sight. Massive, milky-white crystals towered around them, filling a horseshoe-shaped cave.

These crystals are actually made of gypsum, a type of mineral used as a filler in the paper and textile industries. It is also used in cement to make buildings.

What is astounding is the fact that these crystal pillars are more than 5,00,000 years old. Many are so big that they can be easily walked on. Since they were buried beneath the earth for years, the crystals kept growing.

The Cave of Crystals, as it became named, is nestled 290m underground, topped by a mountain rich in lead, zinc, and silver. Since its discovery by the mining company Industrias Pe?oles, the subterranean chamber has drawn researchers from around the world, enticing them with both rare beauty and scientific mystery.

As per How Stuff Works website, if one is to enter the cave it would require wearing a special cooling suit. Tourists are not permitted in the Cave of Crystals, while scientists have to get a special permit to enter the cave.

With 90 to 99 percent humidity, the temperatures inside the cave can go as high as 136 degrees Fahrenheit (58¡ãC). As you would have guessed, there is no natural light inside it. The air is also acidic, which makes it dangerous for human beings.

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Roughly 26 million years ago, a mound of magma strained upward through the Earth beneath southeastern Chihuahua, Mexico. This rising magma created what is now a mountain near the town of Naica and forced hot, mineral-rich waters into caverns and gaps in the mountain¡¯s limestone. It was in these waters that the giant crystals of Naica were born, Chemical and Engineering News reported.

The cave was filled with calcium sulfate-rich water. Calcium sulfate can form several minerals, but it turned out that gypsum (CaSO4¡¤2H2O), specifically a transparent, colourless variety known as selenite, came to be the dominant mineral in the cave.

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