Some of the elongated blocks of crystals are up to 37 feet long and 5 feet wide.
Gypsum crystals at the Naica cave. Person for scale. Image credit: Alexander Van Driessche
Fittingly known as the Cave of the Crystals or Giant Crystal Cave (Spanish: Cueva de los cristales), this fascinating cavern connected to a zinc mine in Naica, Mexico, is crisscrossed with gleaming gypsum crystals – some of the largest natural crystals ever found that dwarf human explorers.
The largest crystal in the cave is 11.40 meters (37.4 ft) long, with a volume of about 5 cubic meters (180 cu ft), and an estimated mass of 12 tons. The enormous sparkling structures are so pure that scientists are unable to date them using conventional techniques. Nevertheless, within one of the crystals they have discovered what is believed to be a 50,000-year-old bacteria sample.
Image credit: OggiScienza
This mysterious cave was only discovered in 2000 by brothers Juan and Pedro Sanchez when the mining company owning the property drained the water from this part of the mine. In 2017, they allowed the cave to be reflooded with water rich in minerals which is required for the crystals to grow (so if you want to visit it, you’ll definitely need a diving suit, given you ever get a permit to get in).
When it was accessible, the cave was extremely hot, with air temperatures reaching up to 58 °C (136 °F) with 90 to 99 percent humidity. In this kind of environment, humans can endure only about ten minutes of exposure at a time. It is not surprising, therefore, that the place remains relatively unexplored.
Image credit:Paul Williams www.IronAmmonitePhotography.com
Image credit: Paul Williams www.IronAmmonitePhotography.com
Image credit: OggiScienza
Image credit: Paul Williams www.IronAmmonitePhotography.com
Location of the Swords and Crystal caves with the gypsum crystals within the idealized block diagram of Naica mine. Image credit: Albert Vila
Water-clear selenite crystal “floater” from the Naica Mine. Size: 18 by 14 by 13 centimeters (7.1 in × 5.5 in × 5.1 in), weight 2.6 kilograms (5.7 lb). Image credit: Rob Lavinsky, iRocks.com
