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Subdivisions Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Oct-14-08 09:12 PM
Original message
Giant Crystal Cave - National Geographic Channel now...
Edited on Tue Oct-14-08 09:23 PM by Texas Explorer
The fascinating discovery, in 2000, of a cave of giant crystal formations and the scientific spelunking mission to study it.



Absolutely stunning...

http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/episode/giant-crystal-cave-3569/Overview#tab-cave-crystal-giants-4

The crystals, they say, are soft, the consistency of fingernail, and searing hot to the touch.
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garlicmilkshake Donating Member (219 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Oct-14-08 09:15 PM
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1. Channel 186 on Dish Network
...
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Subdivisions Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Oct-14-08 09:30 PM
Response to Reply #1
8. Thanks, garlicmilkshake! Welcome to DU! n/t
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garlicmilkshake Donating Member (219 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Oct-14-08 09:51 PM
Response to Reply #8
10. I've spelunked in a similar cave in Arkansas.
The crystals are smaller and of different minerals but no less beautiful. :D
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Miss Chybil Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Oct-14-08 09:15 PM
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2. Thanks, I was looking for something to watch. This looks good. nt
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Subdivisions Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Oct-14-08 09:16 PM
Response to Reply #2
3. Found it channel surfing =)
:hi:
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dbonds Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Oct-14-08 09:24 PM
Response to Original message
4. Amazing.
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Subdivisions Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Oct-14-08 09:27 PM
Response to Reply #4
5. The cave is the size of a football field and
two stories in height.
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Arugula Latte Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Oct-14-08 09:28 PM
Response to Original message
6. Can you imagine discovering something like that?
:wow:

Planet Earth is just amazing.
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Subdivisions Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Oct-14-08 09:29 PM
Response to Reply #6
7. Imagine if those crystals had been diamonds! Whewww-weee! n/t
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Arugula Latte Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Oct-14-08 09:36 PM
Response to Reply #7
9. Ooooh! Just like in Snow White and the Seven Dwarves ...
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aquart Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Oct-14-08 10:24 PM
Response to Original message
11. SOFT? and HOT?
What is the temperature of that cave?
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csziggy Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Oct-14-08 11:27 PM
Response to Reply #11
12. The temps are something like 120-130 F. If I remember correctly the crystals are gypsum
Edited on Tue Oct-14-08 11:27 PM by csziggy
SECRETS OF THE CRYSTAL CAVE
Hidden deep beneath the surface of the Earth is one of the greatest natural marvels on the planet: a giant crystal cave with crystals up to 36 feet long and weighing 55 tons. But this scorching cavern could kill humans after just 15 minutes of exposure.
-The giant crystals found in the caves at Naica are softer than a human fingernail.
-The largest crystal found at Naica is 500,000 years old.
-The stunning crystal pillars are made from the same common mineral as drywall – it's called gypsum.
-The Naica cave's deadly heat comes from the depths of the Earth. Naica sits on a set of fault lines. A magma chamber a mile and a half down warms the water that flows throughout the mountain.
-The Naica principle cave "Cueva de Los Cristales" is 45°C and 100% humidity.
-The Naica facility pumps 16,000 gallons of water per minute out of the mine and runs 24-7.
-The water pumped from the Naica mine formed a lake in the arid Chihuahua desert and is also used to irrigate a golf course.
-Naica is one of the most productive lead mines in the world, and a huge supplier of the world's silver as well.
-The Naica cave actuality footage was shot on solid-state memory HD video cameras (tape-less) wrapped in plastic bags and pre-heated for three hours prior to entering the cave.
-The Naica Project team created a stop-motion robot and fitted it with a Nikon digital still camera powered by a custom software to capture beauty-shot sequences of the cave with 10-megapixel resolution.
http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/episode/giant-crystal-cave-3569/Overview#tab-facts
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