New York resident Greg Gerkens has an extensive background as an administrator and educator, and has taught high school subjects such as biology and Earth science. Among Greg Gerkens’ interests is understanding minerals and rocks, and how they were formed.
One of the most unique formations of crystals is the Cueva de los Cristales, situated at a depth of nearly 1,000 feet and connected with the Naica mine site under the Sierra de Naica in northern Mexico. The 30-by-100-foot cave houses some of the world’s largest crystals, with specimens of milky white selenite reaching a width of three feet and a length of 36 feet.
The cavity was discovered in 2000 by a pair of brothers in search of new silver, lead, and zinc deposits. The space was flooded with hot water containing the mineral anhydrite about 26 million years ago. As the underlying magma cooled, the anhydrite was dissolved in surrounding water.
In the years since, the temperature has hovered around 136 degrees Fahrenheit, while the chemical components of the anhydrite gradually reassembled as gypsum, which can elongate into crystals known as selenite. The gargantuan size of the crystals that formed is attributed to the extended period of submersed, very slow cooling that occurred in the cave.
One of the most unique formations of crystals is the Cueva de los Cristales, situated at a depth of nearly 1,000 feet and connected with the Naica mine site under the Sierra de Naica in northern Mexico. The 30-by-100-foot cave houses some of the world’s largest crystals, with specimens of milky white selenite reaching a width of three feet and a length of 36 feet.
The cavity was discovered in 2000 by a pair of brothers in search of new silver, lead, and zinc deposits. The space was flooded with hot water containing the mineral anhydrite about 26 million years ago. As the underlying magma cooled, the anhydrite was dissolved in surrounding water.
In the years since, the temperature has hovered around 136 degrees Fahrenheit, while the chemical components of the anhydrite gradually reassembled as gypsum, which can elongate into crystals known as selenite. The gargantuan size of the crystals that formed is attributed to the extended period of submersed, very slow cooling that occurred in the cave.
