Discovery of the cave at the Naïca Crystals
The Mexico has something enchanting, one of those things that does not exist elsewhere on the globe. For lovers of fantastic, esotericism, for those who still love and always marvel at the spectacle of nature, Mexico – and especially the region of Naïca – offers you to discover its buried treasures .
Travel to the center of the earth
Like Jules Verne’s novel, you will be able to penetrate the insides of the earth and be admired in front of an unprecedented, unheard, almost unimaginable spectacle, namely the existence of giant crystals .
And when we talk about gigantism for crystals, we mean that some of them measure up to more than 10 meters sometimes. A unique, sensational, unreal scenery, more than 300 meters deep.
Excerpts from Ruben Karenfeld's documentary. Arte. 2008 – In the depths of the earth were discovered in 2002, astonishing caves to the gigantic crystals of gypse, at the chance of the exploitation of a lead and silver mine. One of them has the greatest known crystals in the world.
How is that possible?
Naïca mine is an underground cavity that contains saturated water in chemical elements, that is to say that water no longer manages to dissolve such elements. It is then that the elements will go up against each other by gradually forming constructions worthy of a science fiction film.
For crystals to develop in such dimensions, a constant intake of chemical elements, a constant temperature and pressure is required. ♪ Naïca crystals formed in the underground rivers that were regularly heated by the magma and this growth lasted more than 10,000 years, due to about one centimetre per century.
When the water of the mine began to be pumped, their development stopped.
The greatest crystals in the world
With fantastic beauty, the cave of Naïca is surely one of the largest archaeological discoveries To the world. The internal temperature can rise up to 60° and the oxygen is quite rare, making exploration not always easy. Also think that the underground magma that continuously heats this gallery is only 1.6 km from the surface... It is the cave, called Caverne aux Epées, which is much more accessible to the public.
You will be able to admire crystals that reach more than 11 meters in length, whose diameter can sometimes be about 1.2 meters and can weigh up to 50 tons. Between reality and dreams, between science and fiction, the cave at the Naïca Crystals will transport you to a world apart.
Take about 20 minutes to pass from the entrance of the mine and to the famous cave: you must have specialized equipment containing ice to refrigerate your body and to be able to breathe properly.
The entrance of the cellar is sublime and reveals all its splendour: immense crystals that sweep or cross the cave from somewhere. Walls, ceilings and floors are all covered with these crystalline swellings and that is why you have to walk with caution. Note that each visit to the cave is limited to 20 or 30 minutes at most.
Main photo credit: Wikimedia - Alexander Van Driessche
Loading comments ...