"The Crystal's Cave", a Crystal Palace.
"The Crystal's Cave" or "Giant Crystal Cave" is a cave connected to the Naica mine in Mexico. Geologist Juan Manuel García-Ruiz of Granada's University calls this cave with stunning crystals "the Sistine Chapel of crystals". The cave at a depth of 300 m is extremely hot with air temperatures reaching up to 58 °C with 90 to 99 percent humidity. This is due to an underground magma chamber below the cave. The magma heated the ground water and it became saturated with minerals, including large quantities of gypsum (CaSO4.2H2O). 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. The main chamber contains giant selenite (crystallized gypsum or CaSO4.2H2O) crystals. The cave's largest crystal found to date is 11 m in length, 4 m in diameter and 55 tons in weight. The floor of the cave is covered with perfectly-faceted crystalline blocks. Huge crystal beams jut out from both the blocks and the floor.
At the same level two other caverns were discovered, "The Queen’s Eye Cave" and "The Candle's Cave".
"The Cave of Swords" is located at a depth of 120 m, above the Cave of Crystals, and contains spectacular, smaller (1-2 m long) crystals.
"The Ice Palace" is at a depth of 150 m and is not flooded, but its crystal formations are much smaller, with small 'cauliflower' formations and fine, threadlike crystals.
Naica's Crystal Cave
Video's: Naica Crystal Cave, Naica's Crystal Cave & #1, #2, #3, #4, #5
The heavenly Vatican Sistine Chapel, Terracotta Army of impressive artificial sculpture,
But for us humble crystallographers this Mexican Crystal Palace is an outstanding phenomena of nature,
It’s stunning in beauty and size,
An amazing Crystal Paradise,
Wonder if anybody will ever be able to mount these giant crystals for elucidating their structure.
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