It seems that the Fortress of Solitude Superman is almost as difficult to enter, but that has not prevented the explorers to discover new secrets on the outskirts of Mexico deep and deadly hot Cueva de los Cristales.
Equipped with ice cool suits, the teams have found biological mysteries, a parallel to other planets, and the "Ice Palace", an unexplored cave lined with rare crystal formations and just in time too. Parts of the complex may soon be returned to its natural state, submerged.
A thousand feet (304 meters) underground, the Cueva de los Cristales (photos) is just one of a series of brilliant caverns beneath the mountains of the Chihuahuan Desert of Naica (map). Much of the complex nature is filled with hot water, if not for industrial pumps to facilitate the extraction of silver, zinc, lead and other minerals in the caves.
In the two-story, football field-sized Cueva de los Cristales, huge beams of gypsum between separate crystals in the world, arise at random from the ceiling, floor and walls. Individually, however, the crystals seem anything but casual, sports acute onset, which scientists call Geometric euhedral.
This effect causes the jewel-like giant crystals truly unique, as John Rakovan, a mineralogist at the University of Miami in Ohio, who was not involved in the project.
"When the crystals grow larger and larger, they become less euhedral, generally" and solid as a rock. "Scientists do not think it was possible to obtain large crystals that are morphologically so perfect" before the discovery of the Crystal Cave, Rakovan said.
The columns also seem translucent giant pillars of ice, but are heated by superheated air leak in front of underground magma chambers.
The combination of 90 percent humidity and a temperature of 118 degrees Fahrenheit (48 degrees Celsius) inside the cave can kill a human being ready in just 30 minutes.
"It's a terrible atmosphere and magic all at the same time," said Penelope Boston, a scientist astrobiologist and the cave that appears in the new documentary on the loss of Crystal Caves, which airs Sunday at 8 pm ET / PT National Geographic Channel. (The National Geographic Channel is part owned by the National Geographic Society, which owns National Geographic News.)
(Take the test glass.)
Beyond the Crystal Cave
Discovered by miners in 2000, Crystal Cave is one of the cameras in what appears to be a network of underground caverns below Naica, some well known and evocative name: the Cave of Swords, the eyes of Reina, the Cueva de las Velas.
In 2009, a video camera attached to a drill bit found evidence of crystal-lined cave during the creation of Robin hole, 2,000 meters deep (600 meters) mean ventilation shaft to cool below mining tunnels.
Falling in the months of holes later, in December 2009, a scientific team confirmed the new cave, dry natural crystal about 500 feet (150 meters) below the surface.
Dubbed the Ice Palace, the new cave lacks giant pillars, but it shines with rare crystal formations such as minerals like cauliflower and fiber optic filaments-like.
(Video: Climber describes the discovery of the Ice Palace.)
The mysteries of the Ice Palace is likely to remain unresolved, however. The mining company Industrias Penoles has decided to cover the hole in Robin and has hinted he may turn expensive water pumps that keep the Cueva de los Cristales dry, according to the documentary.
"I do not think I can get to be able to preserve the caves," said Miami University Rakovan. "It will be economically unfeasible."
But the closure of the caves is not necessarily a bad thing, Rakovan added. "Actually, it could preserve the crystals. And if at a later date becomes important to get there again, could repump."
Necessary ice-cooled suits
Exploring caves Naica requires more than the industrial strength pumps water. Scientists entering the complex in 2008 and 2009 led to the measure, 45 pounds (25 kilograms) of cooling suits prolong the mission from 15 minutes to an hour.
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