Cave of the Crystals
Mexican cave renowned for its giant crystals / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Cave of the Crystals or Giant Crystal Cave (Spanish: Cueva de los cristales) is a cave connected to the Naica Mine at a depth of 300 metres (980 ft), in Naica, Chihuahua, Mexico. It takes the form of a chamber within the limestone host rock of the mine, and is about 109 metres (358 ft) long with a volume of 5,000 to 6,000 cubic metres (180,000 to 210,000 cu ft).[1]
Cave of the Crystals | |
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Cueva de los cristales | |
Gypsum crystals in the Naica cave. Note person for scale | |
Location | Naica, Saucillo Municipality, Chihuahua, Mexico |
Coordinates | 27°51′3″N 105°29′47″W |
Length | 109 m (358 ft) |
Discovery | 2000 |
Geology | Limestone |
Hazards | High temperature and humidity |
Access | Currently inaccessible |
The chamber contains giant selenite crystals (gypsum, CaSO4 · 2 H2O), some of the largest natural crystals ever found.[2] The largest is 11.40 metres (37.4 ft), with a volume of about 5 cubic metres (180 cu ft), and an estimated mass of 12 tonnes.[1] When not flooded, the cave is extremely hot, with air temperatures reaching up to 58 °C (136 °F)[3] with 90 to 99 percent humidity. This is comparable to temperature records in Death Valley, but with much wetter air. The cave is relatively unexplored because of these factors.[4] Without proper protection, people can only endure approximately ten minutes of exposure at a time.[5]
The cave was discovered in April 2000 by brothers Juan and Pedro Sánchez while drilling in the mine. As of October 2015[update], the mine had reflooded and the cavern filled once more with the water rich in minerals required for the crystals to grow.
A group of scientists in the Naica Project have been studying these caverns.[6]