Translations:WikiArS/Case studies/53/en

Naica is an underground mine in Mexico that contains lead, silver and other metal deposits. It is best known for its caves containing very large gypsum crystals. Specifically, the mine's Cave of the Crystals contains the world’s largest known crystals. These extraordinarily large crystals were created by a complex process that began when the minerals now mined at the Naica Cave, plus anhydrite (CaSO₄), formed when hot fluid emanated from a magma chamber more than 20 million years ago (mya). After the system cooled, the water that impregnated the rocks dissolved some of the anhydrite, the solubility of which decreased as the temperature dropped, causing the precipitation of the gypsum (CaSO₄·2H₂O).