Bildo Posted October 29, 2008 Posted October 29, 2008 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.SourceLooks amazing, sod that heat though. Quote
Galliano Posted October 29, 2008 Posted October 29, 2008 unbelieveablethey better leave them there!how long do you think it will take to get a tourist attraction there like wooky hole caves?! ;) Quote
BenV Posted October 30, 2008 Posted October 30, 2008 thats awsome, i wonder how long they'll stay there Quote
Extreem EP Posted October 30, 2008 Posted October 30, 2008 so this is supermans wank den then . . . . Quote
Sheekey Posted October 30, 2008 Posted October 30, 2008 Very impressive! Just looked at the mail website, saw that stupidy big hole lol that pretty impressive aswel. Quote
kevink Posted October 30, 2008 Posted October 30, 2008 wow thats sick man, how cool is that!!another site with som more impressive pics: click here Quote
Sparky Posted October 30, 2008 Posted October 30, 2008 so this is supermans wank den then . . . .Come on then... own up, whos this? Quote
gaz Posted October 31, 2008 Posted October 31, 2008 Its probably you sparky you twit haha, split personality haha Quote
paul w Posted October 31, 2008 Posted October 31, 2008 The two guys in the middle just don't look right to me. Quote
JAG Posted October 31, 2008 Posted October 31, 2008 Mate Thats some crazy stuff!Looks like something out of a sci-fi movie Quote
Bildo Posted November 1, 2008 Author Posted November 1, 2008 First photo looks shopped to me though Probably just the angle of the photo.I very much doubt both the Daily Mail and National Geographic would cover such a story if it was fake. Quote
addz Posted November 1, 2008 Posted November 1, 2008 I say i say thats very aesthetically pleasing. Quote
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