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Mystery unraveled behind the Cave of Giant Crystals

Posted Apr 11, 2007 at 03:05AM by Mabie A. Listed in: Natural Resources Tags: crystals, Spain, Mexico
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In 2000, two miners for the Industrias Peñoles mining company were excavating a tunnel when they came upon what turned out to be the greatest display of underground treasure. The Cueva de los Cristales (Cave of Crystals) or "The Sistine Chapel of crystals", as fondly called by geologist Juan Manuel Garcia-Ruiz, was discovered 300 meters (1,000 feet) below Naica mountain in the Chihuahuan Desert in Mexico.

Home to some of the largest natural crystals ever found, the cave hides in its refuge translucent gypsum beams that reach up to 36 feet (11 meters) long, weighing in up to 55 tons. It truly was a natural marvel inasmuch as it was a mystery.

Giant Crystals in Mexico's Cave of Crystals - Image 1 Giant Crystals in Mexico's Cave of Crystals - Image 2 Giant Crystals in Mexico's Cave of Crystals - Image 3 


Fast track to 2007, and the mystery has been solved. Garcia-Ruiz of the University of Granada, Spain, has claimed that he has finally unlocked the mystery beneath all those shiny, shimmery, splendid gigantic crystals. Studying tiny pockets of fluid trapped inside, Garcia-Ruiz found out that the crystals zoomed up to that size because of the mineral-rich water,which engulfed the crystals at a constant temperate range of 136 degrees Fahrenheit (58 degrees Celsius).

What this combo does is to dissolve the mineral anhydrite into the gypsum, that soft mineral which can be held responsible for the formation of crystals in the cave. Another factor adding in to the equation is the volcanic activity that started out some 26 million years ago, creating Naica mountain and stacking it to the brim with high-temperature anhydrite (anyhydrous: lacking water) form of gypsum.

more Crystal Cave images - Image 1 more Crystal Cave images - Image 2 


As the magma cooled down, so did the temperature to 58 degrees Celsius. Because of this, the anhydrite started to dissolve and gradually mixed in sulfate and calcium molecules to the water. These lay deposited for millions of years within the cave as huge selenite gypsum crystals.

Incredibly, "There is no limit to the size a crystal can reach," says Garcia-Ruiz. We suggest you click on the thumbnails to better appreciate these beauties.

[Via National Geographic News] Permalink  |   Email this  |   Linking Blogs   |   Digg It!

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2 Comments


Sort by:
   by Advertising -
   by crstalline (Unregistered) - 2007-04-11
 » amazing
that really is quite amazing, I have seen large crystals before, but nothing near that size, good find!

   by 333 (Unregistered) - 2007-04-11
 » lol
supermans home ? hahahahahhaha



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