Only in Your State | New Mexico | June 18, 2020 | by Monica Spencer
Just when you think you’ve seen everything, science unearths a new discovery that showcases the astounding beauty of our universe, whether here on our home planet or out in space.
Recently, subterranean researchers made a humble, yet fascinating discovery right here in New Mexico.
During an expedition deep into Lechuguilla Cave, located inside Carlsbad Caverns, a team of explorers came across this pristine, aquamarine pool.
It was found in October 2019, but was only made public last month.
The pool, surrounded by cream and peach-colored minerals, is tiny in comparison to other cave water sources. However, the pastel color palette combined with the presence of human-free bacterial colonies makes this an amazing find.
Lechuguilla Cave is the eighth-longest cave in the world at 149 miles long. It is very deep and discoveries like the aquamarine pool are continually being made.
It is known for its unique—though exceptionally delicate—geological formations, like the gypsum chandeliers seen in the photo below. Other larger pools have been found throughout the cave, each a unique discovery completely untouched by humans. It was only in the 1980s that researchers discovered this cave to be an intriguing abyss.
Other findings in the cave include odd formations, like cave pearls, soda straws, hydromagnesite balloons, and rusticles.
These sound unreal but create an otherworldly atmosphere you won’t find anywhere else. Because of the extreme fragility of the cave’s geological and biological environment, the cave is open to scientific researchers and survey teams only.
But if that means preserving sights like this, its closure to the general public is absolutely worth it.
You can find details about the finds researchers have discovered in the cave by visiting the National Park Service website or their Facebook page.
Website: nps.gov
Facebook: Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Lechuguilla Cave is closed to the general public but you can still enjoy a subterranean escape at in the caves of Carlsbad Caverns. Read about one particularly fascinating way to explore the caverns in The Candlelight Cave Tour.
