Imagine accidentally plunging 300 kilometers beneath the Earth’s surface? What would the journey look like? While it sounds farfetched that anyone would get to see so far below the Earth’s surface, two miners accidentally stumbled upon a mine shaft that led them into the depths. What they saw down below was breathtaking — and an undeniable scientific breakthrough.
In the year 2000, the Delgado Brothers, two Mexican miners trenching in the Naica Mines for Industrias Peñoles, happened to accidentally spelunk into what became known as one of the most famous and dangerous locations on Earth. It was an otherworldly sight.
Christian Science Monitor
The environment in the Cave of the Crystals is so toxic that a human would die within five minutes without proper equipment. Luckily, the miners were prepared to explore one of the most breathtaking locations on the planet. This marked the third cave in the Naica Mines, and it was completely filled with glittering formations.
National Geographic / Carsten Peters
The crystals were primarily Selenite formations. The largest crystal measured 12 meters long, 4 meters in diameter, and weighed more than 55 tons. Each one was cut perfectly — not by a jeweler, but by nature. But that’s not all that was down there.
Javier Trueba
The Naica Mines caves soon attracted the attention of NASA. In 2008 and 2009, NASA Astrobiology Institute director Penelope Boston Ventured into the Giant Crystal Cave. Boston was one of the scientists who discovered the crystals held a secret.
NASA Astrobiology Institute
They contained living organisms! The microbes found in some of the crystals were between 10,000 to 50,000 years old, and the crystals acted as a little incubator for what was growing inside. Talk about ancient!
Javier Trueba
But how could an area so beautiful also be so deadly to human life? Ironically, the answer lies in what allowed the microbes to grow in the first place: the extreme temperature, gasses, and the fact that the tunnels were actually once full of water.
Mark Beverly
The caves have been drained over time by Industrias Peñoles. Known primarily for their production of lead, as the mines went deeper, elements such as zinc, silver, and gold were discovered. This was one of the primary drives for the drainage of the Naica Mines.
Leandro Kibisz
In 1910, one of the first famous crystal rooms was discovered. The sharp-walled room earned the name “Cave of Swords.” Rooms entirely composed of crystals like these motivated Naica Mines to keep draining.
Geekwire. by Nasa Photos
There are three charted caves in the Naica, Mines. The deeper the tunnel, the hotter the water. The temperature changes in the water allowed different types of crystals to grow, including the ones holding ancient, yet living microbes. But what causes the temperature changes in the first place?
Rob Lavinsky
Underneath the waterfilled tunnels is a pocket of magma pushing towards the Earth’s surface. These heat levels allowed growth of microbes, but is deadly to humans, even when drained.
TFCKombatMedic / Reddit
The conditions of the famous Cave of Giant Crystals included temperatures of up to 138 degrees Fahrenheit and 100 percent humidity. If a person stayed down there too long, their lungs could fill with fluid, causing them to implode!
ACG Materials
These intense conditions did not deter NASA scientists from continuing to explore the caves. Scientists were eager to find more life. In the end 40 strains of microbes were discovered, some of which were viruses.
NASA
Even stranger, these microbes had hardly any closely established terrestrial relatives. Their nearest relatives are 10 percent different in terms of genetics. Could this be alien life?
National Geographic by Carsten Peters
Unfortunately, the international attention caused damage to the mine. The areas of the caves that were tolerable to the ordinary person became tourist destination sites, and some greedy sightseers stole crystals. In 2010, it were closed to the public, but something was causing the crystals to rot.
Alexxander Van Driessche / PBS
Even though it was decided to shutter the mines, other variables played into the deterioration of the crystals. Excited to discover the next wonders, Industrias Peñoles looked to pump more water out of the tunnels.
Water continually refilled the caves, yet Industrias Peñoles wanted to keep pumping. This was not cost-effective for the company. In addition, this continual drainage played a major part to the Cave of Crystals’ rapid deterioration. Scientists raced to find a solution to prevent potentially devastating loss.
Leela Hutchinson
It became apparent that the perfect formation of the crystals was due in large part to the pocket of magma which heats the water flowing through the tunnels. The water allowed the magical crystal pillars not only to grow, but also to maintain their 500,000 year old existence.
ishvetsov
In 2015, the Industrias Peñoles was ordered to close the mines. The company closed the entrance to the Giant Cave of Crystals, allowing water to flood the tunnels. Scientists hope that re-flooding the Naica Mines will help the structures naturally repair.
Espiorazioni / Geographique Archive
There is no specified closure time for the mines. Seeing as how the most massive structures took 500,000 years to form, the reopening may not happen in our lifetime. Still, NASA scientists remain hopeful that the site can recover sooner.
Rob Lavinsky
Original NASA team members, particularly Paris Boston, deeply miss the monolithic pillars of glistening crystals. While she longs for another chance to visit her favorite place, she also understands the importance of allowing the once natural habitat to repair. Luckily, there are a handful of other caverns that rival this Mexican complex.
Penn State University
Though it functioned as a salt mine for a thousand years, today the space is a tourist attraction that some call a “space-goth fantasy.” Extensive renovations in 2008 made it into one of the most bizarrely beautiful sights on Earth.
Guests can explore tunnels and balconies carved out of salt, or simply admire the cave walls lined with cylindrical lights. In stark contrast to its futuristic vibe, Salina Turda still houses some of the original mining equipment.
Flickr / Robert Anders