CAVE OF CRYSTAL GIANTS, MEXICO
Hidden underneath the Earth are some amazing natural wonders that remain undiscovered.
Hidden underneath the Earth are some amazing natural wonders that remain undiscovered.
The Cave of Crystal Giants, home to the world's largest known crystals, was discovered only
13 years ago, when silver and lead miners in Naica, Mexico accidentally mined into this cave 300m below the Earth.
protective clothing, even using cold-air respirators. This is due to the fact that once one
travels through the earth's crust, the temperature skyrockets to 44.4 degrees Celsius (112
degrees Fahrenheit) with near 100% humidity. This causes the perceived temperature to be
upwards of 105 degrees Celsius (228F), which would be rapidly fatal without protective
gear. The strange temperatures are due to a proximate magma chamber beneath the cave.
These moderate to extreme conditions, amongst other factors, are what allows these
massive crystals to grow.
crystals".The crystals are made of selenite, or a form of crystallized gypsum. The crystals found in
This Naica cave formed over the span of a few hundred thousand years in a mineral laden,
consistently hot water solution. Large and small crystals are formed alike, and the entire
cave is filled with them such that walking in the cave is impossible without stepping on
them.
Crystallographers have determined the path of formation of these record-breaking crystals.
The answer to their size lies in isolation. While the rest of the world was experiencing
volcanic eruptions, continental shifts, monumental uplift…this cave was left undisturbed in
its conditions for hundreds of thousands of years. Water was consistently a stable 58
degrees Celsius (136F), and calcium sulfate was consistently filtered, heated, crystallized
into selenite. Molecule upon molecule of crystallized selenite were laid upon each other in
the same scientific process for millennia, creating a unique display of colossal crystals - the
largest humanity has ever seen. But as with many natural discoveries, the introduction to
humanity proved disadvantageous to the crystal growth.
For thousands of years, selenite crystal growth remained undisturbed. However, as miners
began to lower the water level beneath the earth's crust in this area in 1985, conditions
began to change in this undiscovered cave that have been unchanged since its existence. In
addition, due to lower water levels, the cave is no longer underwater, meaning the
necessary high temperatures for crystal growth have disappeared, and are decreasing by the
year. The process of crystallized accretion has officially come to a halt, yet the existent Cave
of Crystal Giants and their record-breaking crystals remains a stunning geological feature to
man. Yet, the phrase "record-breaking" must be used tentatively - who knows when the
next discovery of the world's "largest" crystals will be found?
-- Sam J.
