Superman’s Fortress of Solitude is a staple in comic book lore, and the crystalline structure introduced in the original Superman movie has become the standard look for it. So that’s why you may be thinking the photos below are from one of his movies. No, these photos aren’t from Man of Steel or even Superman Returns. They’re from the Cueva de los Cristales in Mexico, which literally means “Cave of Crystals.” And that’s a good name for it, because this amazing cave has gypsum crystals as long as thirty-six feet (eleven meters). Scientists believe the crystals formed in unique conditions with mineral-rich water, lots of heat (58 °C or 136 °F) and humidity (90% to 99%), and isolation that allowed them to thrive. In fact, the environment is so inhospitable that most people can only endure the conditions for ten minutes at a time. Now we just have to get a giant hologram of Marlon Brando’s head in there. Click below to enlarge:
[Via nationalgeographic.com]
What do you think of the crystal caves? Would you like to visit this Fortress of Solitude?
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<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="37523 ">1 Comment
I remember seeing this in an article a while back — thanks for reminding me of it.
It'd be amazing to go there.
IO9 did a piece a while back on amazing landscapes that could inspire a fantasy or sci-fi writer. The places that are out there in our own world are so awesome.