Snow are able to grow to hundreds of micrometers or millimeters in size at the expense of the water droplets by the Wegener–Bergeron–Findeisen process. The corresponding depletion of water vapor causes the ice crystals to grow at the droplets' expense. These large crystals are an efficient source of precipitation, since they fall through the atmosphere due to their mass, and may collide and stick together in clusters, or aggregates. These aggregates are snowflakes, and are usually the type of ice particle that falls to the ground. Although the ice is clear, scattering of light by the crystal facets and hollows/imperfections mean
Cave of the Crystals only endure approximately ten minutes of exposure at a time. The cave was discovered by the brothers Eloy and Javier Delgado. It has since been allowed to re-flood, with the cavern now filled once more with the water rich in minerals required for the crystals to grow. A group of scientists known as the "Naica Project" have been heavily involved in researching these caverns. Naica lies on an ancient fault above an underground magma chamber which is approximately below the cave. The magma heated the ground water which was saturated with sulfide ions (S). Cool oxygenated surface water contacted the