The Caves of Naica: a decade of research

F. Gázquez; J. M. Calaforra; P. Forti; G. Badino

doi:10.21701/bolgeomin.127.1.010

Autores/as

F. Gázquez Department of Earth Sciences, Cambridge University
J. M. Calaforra Water Resources and Environmental Geology Research Group, University of Almería
P. Forti La Venta Esplorazioni Geografiche - Italian Institute of Speleology, Dept of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna
G. Badino La Venta Esplorazioni Geografiche - Dept of Physics, University of Torino

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21701/bolgeomin.127.1.010

Palabras clave:

Cueva de los Cristales, Cueva de las Espadas, espeleotemas, Naica, yeso

Resumen

Las cuevas de la mina de Naica han sido objeto de diversos estudios científicos en los que han estado implicados investigadores de hasta siete países distintos durante la última década. Más de cincuenta trabajos de investigación han sido publicados durante este periodo, algunos de ellos abordando el origen de los cristales de selenita gigante de la Cueva de los Cristales. Sin embargo, las investigaciones han ido más allá y han tratado otros aspectos relevantes del sistema de cavidades de Naica. En el presente artículo se hace balance de los resultados obtenidos durante la primera década de investigación, desde el descubrimiento de la Cueva de los Cristales en 2000, hasta trabajos más recientes centrados en la mineralogía, la microclimatología y uso de los espeleotemas yesíferos de las cuevas de Naica como indicadores paleoambientales. Se presta especial atención a las nuevas líneas de investigación que han empezado a estudiar recientemente estos espeleotemas desde el punto de vista de la Astrobiología y la Geología planetaria. Además, se tratan algunos de los desafíos de conservación a los que se enfrentan estas cavidades en la actualidad y su futuro incierto tras el cese de las actividades mineras, programado para los próximos años.

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