The Worlds Largest Gypsum Crystals, Naica, Mexico Essays

The Worlds Largest Gypsum Crystals, Naica, Mexico Essays The Worlds Largest Gypsum Crystals, Naica, Mexico Essay The Worlds Largest Gypsum Crystals, Naica, Mexico Essay Research Paper The Worlds Largest Gypsum Crystals A mile below one of Mexicos most important lead and silver mines, and a few miles above the earths magma lies a magnificent Geological Wonder. It Is Known As â€Å"The Cave Of Crystals. It contains the largest gypsum crystals known in the world to date. The cave was discovered in 2000 by two brothers drilling 1000 feet below the ground while working for Penoles mining company (Garcia-Ruiz et al. ). Man and mining have had a negative impact on the crystals, and should be held accountable for the future fate of this geological wonder. We must prevent its destruction, and benefit from the knowledge that science can gain studding this unique treasure. Cave mineralogy is a fairly new field of study that will continue to grow and earn a prestigious place in the larger scientific community. This find is the most important geological discovery made in our lifetime. This phenomenon merits a description. Growing up from the floor, the enormous crystals mirror columns of light, perfectly transparent and luminous. Among the giants is a prismatic shaped crystal measuring 11 m long. Many perfectly formed shards up to a meter in size sparkle and shimmer across the ceiling and walls. It is a magical place, described as a surreal fantasy world (London, 25). [pic] In Northern Mexico, about 100km, southeast of the city Chihuahua lies the Naica Mine. It has been operated by the Penoles mining company since 1952. They are the largest producers of lead and silver in Mexico, along with the production of zinc. The opening to the mine is on the North side of the Sierra de Naica, which according to scientific data lies above three known faults, the Gibraltar, Naica and the Montana. These faults still control the rise of thermal fluids. Hydrothermal circulation is responsible for the location of mineral deposits. Many years ago, tectonic stressors created cavities inside the aquifer; one of these caves today is called â€Å"The cave of crystals. † It is famous for the gypsum giants (Forti, 135). This discovery holds many secrets that will be exposed by science. The geological process that dictated the unique environment from which these giants materialized consisted of the natural pairing of two diverse fluids filling into the cave. One being from the deep, (phreatic), and the other from the shallow or (epi-phreatic) and vadose levels. These hydrothermal fluids, which are directly connected to the origin of the caves and mines, have been functioning as they are today for over twenty five million years. Over time, with these two chemicals overlapping and mixing with one another, we end up with an overabundance, referred to as â€Å"super-saturation† (Fricker, Garofalo, and Gunther, 620) This formed the perfect nursery required to develop these gorgeous gargantuans. A 2011 Journal printed a paper entitled â€Å"Role of Fluid Inclusion Analysis in Understanding Giagintic Selenite Crystal Growth in a Deep Karst Cave. â€Å"The paper offered a recent study of fluid inclusion has shown that the crystals were formed within a small margin of temperature. The solubility of gypsum and anhydrite are the same at just under 54 °C. These crystals grow at low supersaturation and from low salinity solutions. The analysis data shows that dissolution of anhydrite formed during hydrothermal mineralization produces a growth solution consistent with that of oxygen and sulfur isotopic compositions of gypsum crystals. This study puts forth that the huge crystals were created by a self-feeding system, fueled by a solution-mediated anhydrite-gypsum phase transition (Garcia-Ruiz, 327-330). Man and mining have had a negative impact on these wondrous crystals. Based on the current research and data available concerning the growth of crystals, the oldest Naica mine crystals date back about 400,000 years. This date is not exact. Scientists measure present day rate of growth to determine the precise age of a crystal. Unfortunately, these caves were dewatered by the mining industry in 1985. This lowering of the water table stopped the accretion process. The supersaturated water that fed the crystals was no longer available (Badino et al. 124). Man has put an end to this amazing geological environment that has existed for somewhere around four hundred thousand years. According to the International Journal of Speleology, the temperature inside the cave has drastically decreased. The main part of the mine has been connected to the cave and this creates air circulation. The cave temp drops 0. 6 degrees C. per year. The dew point was met in 2005 and a condensation process started. â€Å"At this location the giant gypsum crystals started to rapidly dissolve and new mineral phases began to precipitate† (Badino, 126). Once again, we have evidence of damage being done by mankind. The International Journal of Speleology states that upon analysis secondary minerals that appeared after the dewatering of the crystals the evolution of new speleothems seems to be due to the fluids contained in the crystals themselves. The Journal states: â€Å"Thus, for the first time, the fundamental role played by evaporationcondensation processes have been applied not only to the shape of speleothems, but also to the control of their mineral composition† (Badino et al. 125). There is much to be learned by the scientific community by studying this unique environment. Members of the Suttle Laboratory of Marine Virology and Microbiology were permitted in December, 2009, to take water samples from several different locations inside the mine. The temperatures inside the cave reach as high as 40 C and a relative humidity between 90 and 100%. As a result chemo autotrophic microbes, at present, ( because of their isolation) and their viruses may be related to those which dwelled on our earth at a much earlier time, or even possibly on other planets. It is hypothesized they exist and thrive in this ecosystem. The researchers from the team explained that â€Å"by working with these samples. We hope to gain insight into what types of microbial assemblages inhabit this very unique environment† (Suttle). In 1997 The National Speleological Society published a book titled â€Å"Cave Minerals of the World. The demands made by the Nomenclatures and Classification Commission on New Minerals and by the International Mineralogical Association were met. In 2011 and up-to-date list added 319 cave minerals. Mineralogy has achieved a rapid growth over the last 10 years. This is mostly due to progress in analytical facilities and new technology. The study of speleothems can teach us about quaternary climate change, and show us the difference between many speleogenetic routes and passages. Minerals can also lead us to understand and re-create landscape evolution. New minerals hold valuable information for the fields of the Earth sciences, and many other disciplines of study. They will answer many questions in the future (ONAC et al. ). According to the University of South Florida, Department of Geology, and other experts in the field â€Å"The result of cave mineral studies, when integrating stable isotope analysis with other microanalytical techniques, can be reassembled to test and improve conceptual ideas in mineral precipitation and to quantify geochemical processes associated with it† (ONAC et al. 4). Important discoveries have been made at the mines in Naica. Here are a few examples: Sulfates- Alpersite and Antlerite- Naica mine, Mexico. Cave at 150m. Silicates- Hectorite- â€Å"Cueva de las Espadas, Naica, Mexico. † Grientite- â€Å"Cueva de los Velas, Naica, Mexico† (ONAC et al. 34-36). There is no reason to assume that the most recent discovery, the â€Å"Cave of Crystals† has nothing to offer. This magnif icent find holds the interest of geologists, microbiologists, Earth scientists and many other allied professionals. They should be permitted, no, encouraged, to learn all they can before the cave returns back to its underwater existence, and is lost to us forever. The traditional study of minerals did not include much direct interest in the cave environment. Cave mineralogy is a field relatively new to science. This inattention stemmed from the fact that 90% of minerals found in caves are composed of aragonite and calcite (Bogdan and Forti, 80). Cave minerals known as speleothems are secondary deposits. Many of them have little or nothing to do with the actual cave itself. They were carried or transported as the existing cave was being filled or by corrosion after-the-fact. (Bogdan and Forti,79-80). Entering the 19th century, less than 10 scientific papers were published, detailing around 10 minerals, only including four different caves. Progress was made. By the 20th century 50 cave minerals were known and 250 papers have been published. The 60s brought with them 700 scientific papers on the subject, and some 80 described cave minerals. The third millennium brought about nearly 5000 papers published about 300 cave minerals and their environments were detailed. Today we average 2 to 3 new mineral each year (Bogdan and Forti, 81). Many of these minerals are new to science. Their surprise wealth is the result of separate forces working together. Percolating water causes the leaching of sediment and rocks before entering the cave. (Leaching releases solid-state radionuclides or contaminants into the liquid state. ) Another factor is high hydrogen sulfide solutions or hydrothermal liquid interplay with the cave sediments and the base rock. The same chemical compounds can form totally different product specimens. In other words completely different results can form from the same exact chemical compounds. The type of reaction that is undergone is the determining factor of the formation that is left behind (Bogdan and Forti,80). A variety of reactions take place in the cave environment. The key factors are: pH, Eh, changes in humidity and temperature, the chemistry of the solution and the presence or lack thereof microorganisms. Some common cave reaction types are: segregation and sublimation- processes result in phase transition. The key mechanism is temperature. Geochemical processes: oxidation/reduction, hydration/dehydration and double replacement these key mechanisms seem to be the concentration of acids (Bogdan and Forti,82). The cave of crystals should be left unharmed and be studied by the scientific community. It holds many answers that will benefit us in many ways. It should then be returned to the state in which we found it. This unique treasure and its knowledge are worth more to mankind than the ore produced by the mine. For the time being the caves should be open for geologists to study while there is a chance, as there is much to be learned. Badino, Giovanni, et al. â€Å"the present day genesis and evolution of cave minerals inside the Ojo de la Reina Cave, Mexico. † international Journal of Speleology 40. 03926672 (2011): 125-131. Google Scholar. Web. 26 Oct. 2011. . Bogdan, Onac P, and Paolo Forti. â€Å"Minerogenetic mechanisms occurring in the cave environment. † International Journal of Speleology 40. 2 (2011): 79-98. PDF file. Forti, Paolo. Genissis and Evoloution of the Caves in the Naica Mine (Chihuahua, Mexico). † Zeitschrift Fur Geomorphologie 54 Suool . 2. 0115 (2010): 135. Google Scholar. Web. 1 Dec. 2011. Fricker, Mattias B, Paolo S Garofalo, and Detlef Gunther. â€Å"Role of Fluid Inclusion Analysis in Understanding Giagintic Selenite Crystal Growth in a Deep Karst Cave (Naica, Mexico). † Highlights of Analytical Chemistry in Switzerland 65, No 7/? 8 (2011 ): 620. google Scholar. Web. 6 Dec. 2011. . Garcia-Ruiz, Juan Manuel, et al. â€Å"Formationof Natural Gypsum Megacrystals in Naica, Mexico. Geology 35 no4: 327-330. Google Scholar. Web. 1 Dec. 2011. London, David. Figure 8. 14 Dec. 2002. New â€Å"Cave of Crystals† at Naica, Chihua, Mexico. N. p. , n. d. Web. 12 Nov. 2011. -. â€Å"] New â€Å"Cave of the Crystals† at Naica, Chihuahua, Mexico. † Earth Scientist Magazine (2003): 24 27. google scholar. Web. 28 Oct. 2011. . ONAC, Bogdan P, et al. â€Å"State of the art and challenges in cave minerals studies. † Studia UBB Geologia 56. 1: 33-42. PDF file. Suttle, Curtis A. â€Å"Naica. † Suttle Laboratory. University of British Columbia, 27 Nov. 2011. Web. 20 Nov. 2011. .