Selenite. In 1794 there started mining and later it was discovered that mine contains other valuable metals – zinc and lead as well. The crystals are made from a rock called selenite, which is the crystal form of a mineral called gypsum. The cave’s largest crystal found to date is 12 meters (39 feet) in length, 4 meters (13 feet) in diameter and 55 tons in weight. Open Beta: What's next . Giant Crystal Cave is a cave located in the Naica Mine in Chihuahua’s Naica, in Mexico, in southern North America, at a depth of 300 metres (980 feet). The crystals began to grow because of water boiling in this underground chamber. Naica is a toun in the Mexican state o Chihuahua. Show all posts for this topic. Naica Mine is located in Mexico. Pumping the water from the mine had the effect of removing water from the nearby crystalline caves as well, paving the way for their discovery and scientific exploration. Badino G, Forti P (2007) The exploration of the caves of the giant crystals (Naica, Mexico). Containing selenite—gypsum—crystals measuring up to 39 feet (12 meters) in length, the cave is a relatively hostile environment—without proper protection, people would only survive about 10 minutes inside. Interesting facts: They are made of a kind of gypsum, the same material as in dry wall. References. Mines of Ethervein . Another cool fact is, the largest crystal fount at Naica is 500,000 years old. 6. Print whole topic. We hope you'll join the conversation by posting to an open topic or starting a new one. This fantastic size is due to a slow and steady maturation through the millennia, that occured deeply (300 meters) below ground, in an amazing cave discovered at the end of the last century. Naica Mines. The crystal of the mine itself is 4 feet large and is fifty feet long. Dormant for thousands of years, the researchers found the microbes hiding in tiny … The open Beta of Naïca is now … Naica mine is once again flooded with groundwater, and the giant crystals are free to keep growing. The Cave of the Crystals, buried 800 metres (2,625 feet) deep within Mexico’s Naica Mine, should be on everyone’s bucket list. NASA scientists have discovered never-before-seen microbial life forms in crystal caves located deep below the surface in Mexico. Located in Naica in the municipality of Saucillo, the Naica Mine is a lead, zinc and silver mine operated by Industrias Peñoles, Mexico's largest lead producer. ONLINE. Now Naica mines are the largest in Mexico and since the 1950ies are managed by company Industrias Peñoles. It is locatit in the municipality o Saucillo an reportit a population o 4,775 in the 2005 INEGI Census and I don't even no hal too spel. Also,the Niaca mine was accidentally found by early prospectors. Send as an e-mail. The crystal caves at the Naica mines are not open to the public. The Naica Mine itself was the largest lead producer in Mexico, but shut down indefinitely in 2015. 7 . The author thanks Peñoles Company for allowing access to the Naica Mine and La Venta Esplorazioni Geografiche and C/Producciones for leading the “Naica Project” (2006–2009). Cave of the Crystals is connected to the Naica Mine at a depth of 300 meters (980 feet). The largest crystals are over 11 meters long (36 feet) and weigh 55 tons. Naica Mine I have gotten a e-mail recently from one of my readers, Eileen. I drove 6 hours to Tucson, then by a private jet to Chihuahua City where two of the mine employees greeted us and we drove 1.5 hours to Naica. Fluorite specimen frae Naica Mine. This remote part of northern Mexico, located is an hour to the south of Chihuahua, is famous for crystals, and paychecks at the local lead and silver mine The cave was discovered by the brothers Eloy and Javier Delgado. 5 years ago-:- Message from Tripadvisor staff -:-This topic has been closed to new posts due to inactivity. Associated minerals on this specimen, not visable here are Sphalerite, Pyrite, Dolomite and Quartz. The water boiled for about 500,000 years. The Naica mine, Mexico, has the largest crystal we've discovered so far: a stunning mineral block 1.2 meters in diameter, 11.4 meters long, with an estimated weight of nearly 55 tons! Instead, armed with samples of the crystals and water from the Naica mine, Van Driessche, García-Ruiz, and their colleagues set out to painstakingly measure crystal growth rates in the lab. It is a minin toun an the location o the renouned Naica Mine. Localities Naica Mine, Naica, Saucillo Municipality, Chihuahua, Mexico. In 1910 miners discovered a cavern beneath the Naica mine workings, the Cave of Swords (Spanish: Cueva de las Espadas). Naica Mine, Naica, Saucillo Municipality, Chihuahua, Mexico Silver-gray, striated crystal of Bournonite, 4mm. Before long, troves of lead, zinc and gold turned up as well — and by the mid-19th century, the first mining operations broke ground along the slopes. Inside, gigantic crystals can reach science-fiction lengths of over 36 feet. Naica mine is located at the northeastern side of a dome extending to the northwest (Fig. Thorn Tree forum Country forums Mexico. Re: Naica mines / Crystal caves . 21.7k … Show all posts for this topic. These crystals are chambers in the Naica Mine in Chihuahua, Mexico, discovered in 2000 in a lead mine. The Naica Mine of the Mexican state of Chihuahua, is a working mine that is best known for its extraordinary selenite crystals. Also, the giant crystals in Naica are softer than human finger nails. See an aw. In the Mexican State of Chihuahua, we have a giant crystal cave in the Naica Mine at a depth of nearly 400 feet. Alexander Van Driessche/Wikimedia Commons Giant crystals inside the Naica mine in Chihuahua, Mexico contain microbial life-forms that have been trapped for up to 50,000 years. Shattergrove Forest . We launched the open Beta on November 10, after more than 2 years and a half of hard work. Report inappropriate content . Last reply was Thu, 07 Jan 2010 23:13:01 +0000. Giant Crystal Cave is a cave located in the Naica Mine in Chihuahua’s Naica, in Mexico, in southern North America, at a depth of 300 metres (980 feet). These photos are stock photos from a Naica city website – they are not my photos. It sounds like something out of science fiction, but it is all very real. Our small team of 8 people was overwhelmed by the response from the community and as you may have noticed, so... Read more Content of the open Beta 2020/11/10 14:01:00 . The Crystal Cave of Naica. It lies almost 300 meters (900 feet) below the surface of the Earth and it contains the largest crystals known in the world, by far. Panorama o Naica. Rich finds of silver were discovered in the Naica mountains in the middle of the dry, inhospitable Chihuahua Desert already in the 18th century. These huge crystals are in the Cave of Swords, which lies 985ft (300m) below ground in a mine at Naica, Mexico. This cave’s walls are studded with crystal daggers, where massive pillars inside the cave reach a length of over 36 feet. The huge mines at Naica have been excavated for years, but in 1975 a massive area was drained so mining operations could take place. Naica’s Cave of the Crystals is an unlikely, magical discovery, buried 300 meters below the earth’s surface. ‘Giant Crystal Cave’ is also known as ‘Cave of the Crystals’, ‘Cave of Crystals’ and ‘Cave of Giant Crystals’. One day in 1910, the Peñoles Mining Company discovered a wondrous cave just 394 feet (120 meters) below the surface. The surrounding region has a very high water table, and the owners of the nearby Industrias Peñoles Naica mine had to pump out as much water as possible in order to access the mine's silver and other minerals. 1. She was nice enough to send me a wonderful powerpoint slide show on the crystal caves discovered in Chihuahua Mexico. The main chamber contains giant selenite crystals, some of the largest natural crystals ever found. When the … The air temperature within the Naica Mine is 50 degrees in Celsius. The Crystal Cave of Giants was accidentally discovered in 2000 by miners working in the silver and lead mine at Naica, Mexico. Added by 90% of humidity level and 105C of humidex value has made this mine a very extreme spot to visit. The Giant Crystal Cave or the Cave of the Crystals, also known as ‘Cueva de los Crystals’ in Spanish is a horseshoe-shaped cave connected to the Naica Mine 300 meters below the ground in the Mexican State of Chihuahua. It is speculated that at this level, transition temperatures may have fallen much more rapidly, leading to an end in the growth of the crystals. The Crystal Cave of Cueva Cristales is a glittering palace covered with some of the largest crystals anyone has ever seen. Look at the content . Print whole topic. Rolf Luetcke specimen and photo. Print current page. Print current page. The chambers are along a fault line with magma heating them up to 150 F. The largest crystal is 36 ft long, (11 m), 13 ft wide (4m) and weighs 55 tons. Cave o the Crystals; References. pantsninja. Located below the Naica Mine, the cave produces jaw-dropping crystals that dwarf humans who enter the area. 1). Enter custom title (optional) This topic is locked. Naica Mine - Crystal Caves. Send as an e-mail. Located in Naica in the municipality of Saucillo, the Naica Mine is a lead, zinc and silver mine operated by Industrias Peñoles, Mexico's largest lead producer. Nat Speleol Soc News 65(2):12–18 Google Scholar. In 1794, prospectors discovered silver on the Sierra de Naica Mountain. Huge crystals. The Giant Crystal Cave is an amazing cave connected to the Naica Mine at a depth of 300 metres, in Naica, Chihuahua, Mexico. LOOKING FOR HELP AND INPUT. It is located at a depth of 120 m, above the Cave of Crystals, and contains spectacular, smaller (1 m long) crystals. The Naica Mine of the Mexican state of Chihuahua, is a working mine that is best known for its extraordinary selenite crystals. I had the opportunity of a lifetime to visit the caves and get up close and personal with this magnificent location. The Cave of Crystals in Mexico's Naica Mine might look incredibly beautiful, but it's one of the most inhospitable places on Earth, with temperatures ranging from 45 to 65°C (113 to 149°F), and humidity levels hitting more than 99 percent. 29th Dec 2020 16:16 UTC Peter Megaw 🌟 Manager. ‘Giant Crystal Cave’ is also known as ‘Cave of the Crystals’, ‘Cave of Crystals’ and ‘Cave of Giant Crystals’. Naica Mine. I am writing an in depth article on Naica and need some help. The crystals are called gypsum. Make sure that you gear up properly to ensure your safety before going into the deep mine.