N.M. Cavers Chart Unique 'Snowy' River of Crystals

from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution

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. The explorers have reached Snowy River—thought to be the longest continuous cave formation in the world.