Fortress of Solitude

August 3, 2007 11:51 AM

The gypsum crystals in the Cave of Crystals at the Naica mine in Chihuahua, Mexico, are some of the largest and most spectacular in the world. [Last link is a .wmv]
posted by dersins (18 comments total)

looks like the Fortress of Solitude.
posted by gnutron at 11:59 AM on August 3, 2007

gnutron, I'd like to direct your attention to the top of the screen....
posted by dersins at 12:04 PM on August 3, 2007

"The Proyect" - heh, it's phonetic.
posted by hypersloth at 12:28 PM on August 3, 2007

awesome btw
posted by hypersloth at 12:28 PM on August 3, 2007

You know, I read this and I thought to myself: "Self, this sounds just like an ad for Howe Caverns or somesuch, there had better be something pretty damn compelling behind that 'spectacular' link to justify it or I'll take it to MeTa¹."

Jesus H. Monkeyfucking christ is there ever.

[1] I would not actually have taken it to MeTa
posted by Skorgu at 12:35 PM on August 3, 2007

Man I was thinking Fortress of Solitude right as I clicked over to this tab and saw the title. That cave is just so awesome. It is probably some form of holy land for those people that feel crystals can heal.
posted by Phantomx at 1:12 PM on August 3, 2007

This was such common knowledge amongst cavers that I forget the wider public hasn't seen this stuff, yet. There was some skepticism for a while as you can imagine, "Yeah, 10-foot-log crystals... deep in a mine in Mexico... suuuuuuure," but they're pretty well documented, now. Sadly, when they wrap up mining operations there, they'll stop pumping water, and the mines and caves will flood, so human visitation will be very limited.
posted by Devils Rancher at 1:14 PM on August 3, 2007

Sadly, when they wrap up mining operations there, they'll stop pumping water, and the mines and caves will flood, so human visitation will be very limited.

Sad, yes, but at the same time it's nice to know that there are still amazing and majestic things in the world that are available to a limited subset of the population, for a limited time only, and will not have their majesty marketed/subsumed/destroyed my mankind (and thus turned into a bore.)
posted by davejay at 1:17 PM on August 3, 2007 [1 favorite]

Wow, I had no idea this existed, and it looks really cool. Thanks!
posted by malthas at 1:46 PM on August 3, 2007

dersins - i'm an idiot. it's friday, that's my excuse. nice post - this is some awe-inspiring stuf.
posted by gnutron at 2:02 PM on August 3, 2007

and the mines and caves will flood, so human visitation will be very limited.

Of course, since the temperature in the cave is 140-some degrees F (60°C) and the humidity is 100%, a visit isn't exactly likely to be too pleasant even before they're re-flooded.
posted by dersins at 2:11 PM on August 3, 2007

holy shit. i had no idea that this was possible. someone ought to rewrite Journey to the [Interior] of the Earth, and use this as one of the very realistic but amazing things one can encounter. much better than that long descent in granite next to a trickle of water.

and i don't mind at all that it will be refilled with water--the mere thought that there really are places in darkness and inaccessible down there under our feet that look like this is way cool.
posted by RedEmma at 2:39 PM on August 3, 2007

Oh my God, it's beautiful! I am constantly amazed by our planet.
posted by LeeJay at 3:53 PM on August 3, 2007

Wow, I had no idea this existed, and it looks really cool.

It may look cool, but people have died from the heat in there.

Here's a first-person account of a trip into Naica. (It's a link from the spectacular link in the OP.)
posted by Kirth Gerson at 4:52 PM on August 3, 2007

Oh my God, it's beautiful! I am constantly amazed by our planet.

It's the coolest planet in the world!
posted by Devils Rancher at 5:02 PM on August 3, 2007

Ah, it seems one of the dead guys got a Darwin Award out of it.

Here are some more pictures. I think they are the same as in the some of the largest link in the OP, but these are much better.

Here's the Wikipedia entry. (Yes, Devils Rancher, I'm mining the NSS Forum.)
posted by Kirth Gerson at 5:09 PM on August 3, 2007

I'm flabbergasted.
posted by chuckdarwin at 5:18 PM on August 3, 2007

Makes me wish I was still Chasing the Dragon.
posted by Balisong at 8:20 PM on August 3, 2007