Post by L Roebuck on Jul 24, 2008 8:15:27 GMT -5
N.M. cavers chart unique `snowy' river of crystals
By Susan Montoya Bryan
FORT STANTON CAVE, N.M. (AP) — Hundreds of feet beneath Earth's surface, a few seasoned cave explorers venture where no human has set foot. Their headlamps illuminate mud-covered walls, gypsum crystals and mineral deposits.
The real attraction, though, is under their shoes.
A massive formation that resembles a white river spans the cave's floor. A closer examination reveals that the odd formation is an intricate crust of tiny calcite crystals.
The explorers have reached Snowy River — thought to be the longest continuous cave formation in the world.
"I think Snowy River is one of the primo places underground in the world and there's still so much left that we haven't discovered. ... We don't even know how big it is," said Jim Goodbar, a cave specialist with the federal Bureau of Land Management.
Full Article
By Susan Montoya Bryan
FORT STANTON CAVE, N.M. (AP) — Hundreds of feet beneath Earth's surface, a few seasoned cave explorers venture where no human has set foot. Their headlamps illuminate mud-covered walls, gypsum crystals and mineral deposits.
The real attraction, though, is under their shoes.
A massive formation that resembles a white river spans the cave's floor. A closer examination reveals that the odd formation is an intricate crust of tiny calcite crystals.
The explorers have reached Snowy River — thought to be the longest continuous cave formation in the world.
"I think Snowy River is one of the primo places underground in the world and there's still so much left that we haven't discovered. ... We don't even know how big it is," said Jim Goodbar, a cave specialist with the federal Bureau of Land Management.
Full Article