N.M. cavers chart unique `snowy' river of crystals

N.M. cavers chart unique `snowy' river of crystals

news.yahoo.com

FORT STANTON CAVE, N.M. - 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.

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Interesting enough to bring it to ATS in my opinion. A lot of interest in this has been generated by recent movie remakes (if ya know what I mean). But, interesting nevertheless.

Cuhail

news.yahoo.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

I haven't been to Ft Stanton's caves before, but I have been to several other caves in NM and AZ, like Carlsbad, Mammoth, and Kartchner. The formations in some of them are absolutely incredible. It's easy to see why some people believe that there's an entire other world inside the Earth if you let your imagination run wild inside these caverns.

The few who have walked on the formation say they've seen nothing else like it. Early studies point to its uniqueness: Already, some three dozen species of microbes previously unknown to science have been uncovered.

Wow new microbes, never before seen!
What, if any, is the hazard in interacting with new and unknown microbes? Could there be a health concern?

This is an amazing discovery!

Thanks Cuhail!
Starred and flagged!

Typically a microbe that has never been introduced to our physiology wouldn't be viral. It takes a long span of evolution before even already existing viruses figure out how to jump species, let alone an untouched microbial life form figuring out how to begin using larger life forms as fuel.

Given their depth in the earth, they are likely mineral eating life forms.

However, this might open up some interesting research. Find out what they ingest, and what they excrete, and you might find a more efficient method of producing other usable substances.

But a virus, they likely are not. And the likelihood of them feeding off decomposing or live organic material (like fungi, or bacteria does) from the surface is incredibly remote as well.

I like how the cave they're talking about is behind lock and key.

Same article

Areas of Fort Stanton Cave are open to those who get permits from the BLM, but Snowy River — deep in the cave behind locked metal gates — is off-limits. It's unlikely Snowy River ever will be open to anything but research because of the fragility of the tiny calcite crystals and microbes on the cave walls.

I'm sure there are a multitude of reasons for this, including-

The few who have walked on the formation say they've seen nothing else like it. Early studies point to its uniqueness: Already, some three dozen species of microbes previously unknown to science have been uncovered.

36 unknown microbes. With 36+ different unknown effects it may have on humans.

Just interesting.

(EDIT TO ADD) Right on JohnSky! Thank you.

Cuhail

[edit on 7/24/2008 by Cuhail]

reply to post by Cuhail


Actually they're under lock and key because caves are extremely delicate. You've got an environment that is, for all intents and purposes, sealed off from the outside world aside from whatever air and water seeps in. Add a bunch of untrained, clumsy humans wearing hiking boots, spitting, and who knows what else into the environment and not only do you have the delicate mineral formations getting ruined, but you also have the indiginous little microbes battling with invasive microbes brought in from the outside.

wow - an amazing discovery - thanks for bringing it too our attention

as a mole - every new subteranean discovery fascinates me - we are reaching into space - but have still not charted every inch of out planets nooks and cranies

PS - yeah gates are a standard feature - both to protect the fragile caves and ensure that the club who has stewardship and the CRO actually know who is in system

because here UK its amazing the number of peopole that attempt to wander into caves so woefully unprepared that they really should not be left unsupervised at any point

lastly - thankfully - due to thier usual remoteness and the gates - vandalism in caves is thankfully rare - but it does happen

esp at some of the dissuded hard stone quarries - box freestone in wiltshire springs to mind - as its very close to a town

www.nm.blm.gov...

www.nm.blm.gov...