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Pictured: The Cave of Crystals discovered 1,000ft
Topic Started: Oct 29 2008, 04:40 PM (371 Views)
XNavyGunner
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Gunner

Until you notice the orange-suited men clambering around, it's hard to grasp the extraordinary scale of this underground crystal forest.

Nearly 1,000ft below the Chihuahua Desert in Mexico, this cave was discovered by two brothers drilling in the Naica lead and silver mine. It is an eerie sight.

Up to 170 giant, luminous obelisks - the biggest is 37.4ft long and the equivalent height of six men - jut across the grotto like tangled pillars of light; and the damp rock of their walls is covered with yet more flawless clusters of blade-sharp crystal.

They are formed from groundwater saturated in calcium sulphate which, warmed by an intrusion of magma about a mile below, began filtering through the cave system millions of years ago.

When, about 600,000 years ago, the magma began to cool, the minerals started to precipitate out of the water, and over the centuries the tiny crystals they formed grew and grew until 1985, when miners unwittingly drained the cave as they lowered the water table with mine pumps.

Because the crystals resemble giant icicles, the picture suggests it must be very cold inside the Cave of Crystals - but appearances can be deceptive.

In fact, the temperature is a sweltering 112F, with a humidity of 90-100 per cent.

This is why cavers wear protective suits and carry backpacks of ice-cooled air.

Such conditions, and the fact that it takes 20 minutes to drive to its entrance through a twisting mine-shaft, haven't deterred would-be looters - one of the crystals bears a deep scar where someone has tried, and failed, to cut through it.

But the cave has now been fitted with a heavy steel door, the better to preserve this beautiful wonder for generations to come.

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Imago
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The Love Bunny
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My jaw dropped when i saw that photo. That is truely astonishing, thankyou for posting!!!
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Mystical
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That's an awesome find! Very beautiful...too bad that when people find these things ....looters tend to think they should have a piece of it. human greed is terrible.
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Isis
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The Goddess of Darkness & Desire

This is the most protected cave in the world and they have said no one else will beable to go in and video the cave for fear it will damage it...
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Isis, The Goddess of Desire & Darkness. In The Darkness, We Find The Light.

This is a Drama Free Zone..!
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Mystical
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I think that's a good idea. They know it's there ...let it be.
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StrmySummer
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Storm Goddess

all i can say is "wow"

ya know what it reminds me of........superman's fortress of solitude :lmao:
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"Beginning now, let's play more, kiss more, love more, let's be so close that when one of us cries, the other tastes salt."
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XNavyGunner
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Gunner

StrmySummer
Nov 2 2008, 12:39 PM
all i can say is "wow"

ya know what it reminds me of........superman's fortress of solitude :lmao:
Yeah! It does!!! :shake:
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StrmySummer
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Storm Goddess

:lmao: :shake:
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"Beginning now, let's play more, kiss more, love more, let's be so close that when one of us cries, the other tastes salt."
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