Cave of Crystals, Mexico
Entering this next cave is like preparing for a space walk. You’ll need a lot of gear for protection. But all of it is essential. You’re about to enter a super hot cave. You slip into a vest that is layered with
small ice packs. A second vest keeps the ice from melting quickly. You step into a bulky orange jumpsuit. You put on boots, gloves, and a helmet with a headlamp. Inside your helmet, a fan blows cool air on you. Even with all this gear, your tour will last
no longer than 20 minutes. T at’s all a body can take at these extreme temperatures. T e deeper you go, the hotter it gets.
T at’s because this cave sits on a river of magma about a kilometer below the surface. Enter the Cave of Crystals.
22 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EXPLORER Miners looking for silver discovered the
cave. T e geologic processes that create the metals lead and silver also provide raw materials for crystals. As the miners were digging a new tunnel, they hammered into a chamber filled with enormous crystals. How did these crystals grow here, and
why are they so big? For hundreds of thousands of years, groundwater seeped through the limestone. T e water contained minerals. Warmed by heat from the magma below, the minerals began to form crystals. Leſt unchecked, they grew and grew. Now the largest crystal there is 11 meters long and weighs 55 tons. Due to harsh conditions, however, the cave is largely unexplored. Sadly, your 20 minutes are up!
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