Cave of Crystals

Giant crystals dwarf researchers in the Crystal Cave. Photo via veoverde

It seems like a Hollywood movie set; perhaps a place for Superman to get a little alone time--but Mexico's Cave of Crystals is no artificial wonder. Discovered in 2000 when silver miners broke through a wall in a mineshaft, the cave features crystals measuring 30 feet, the largest in the world. Only a handful of geologists have ever had the chance to visit this natural wonder, and it seems likely that few ever will; not only are the conditions inside the cave quite inhospitable, soon it will be filled with water.

It's Hot and Humid
Recently, Iain Stewart, a professor from the University of Plymouth, Great Britain, led a team from the BBC into the Crystal Cave in to show them the amazing formations attached to the mines of Naica in northern Mexico. The conditions in the cave, however, make extended exploration difficult. According to the BBC, the temperature reaches 50 degrees centigrade (122°F) with humidity at 100 percent.

Prof. Stewart:


The combination means that when you inhale air, the surface of your lungs is actually the surface cooler than the air is. This means that the fluids begin to condense into the lungs - and this is not good news

To tolerate the challenging conditions in the cave, explorers wear special refrigerant suites which contain a breathing system.