<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?><article xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
<front>
<journal-meta>
<journal-id>1405-3322</journal-id>
<journal-title><![CDATA[Boletín de la Sociedad Geológica Mexicana]]></journal-title>
<abbrev-journal-title><![CDATA[Bol. Soc. Geol. Mex]]></abbrev-journal-title>
<issn>1405-3322</issn>
<publisher>
<publisher-name><![CDATA[Sociedad Geológica Mexicana A.C.]]></publisher-name>
</publisher>
</journal-meta>
<article-meta>
<article-id>S1405-33222007000100063</article-id>
<article-id pub-id-type="doi">10.18268/bsgm2007v59n1a5</article-id>
<title-group>
<article-title xml:lang="es"><![CDATA[Formación de megacristales naturales de yeso en Naica, México]]></article-title>
<article-title xml:lang="en"><![CDATA[Formation of natural gypsum megacrystals in Naica, Mexico]]></article-title>
</title-group>
<contrib-group>
<contrib contrib-type="author">
<name>
<surname><![CDATA[García-Ruiz]]></surname>
<given-names><![CDATA[Juan Manuel]]></given-names>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="Aff"/>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author">
<name>
<surname><![CDATA[Villasuso]]></surname>
<given-names><![CDATA[Roberto]]></given-names>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="Aff"/>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author">
<name>
<surname><![CDATA[Ayora]]></surname>
<given-names><![CDATA[Carlos]]></given-names>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="Aff"/>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author">
<name>
<surname><![CDATA[Canals]]></surname>
<given-names><![CDATA[Angels]]></given-names>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="Aff"/>
</contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author">
<name>
<surname><![CDATA[Otálora]]></surname>
<given-names><![CDATA[Fermín]]></given-names>
</name>
<xref ref-type="aff" rid="Aff"/>
</contrib>
</contrib-group>
<aff id="Af1">
<institution><![CDATA[,Universidad de Granada Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra]]></institution>
<addr-line><![CDATA[Granada ]]></addr-line>
<country>Spain</country>
</aff>
<aff id="Af2">
<institution><![CDATA[,Compañía Peñoles  ]]></institution>
<addr-line><![CDATA[Chihuahua ]]></addr-line>
<country>México</country>
</aff>
<aff id="Af3">
<institution><![CDATA[,Institut de Ciències de la Terra Jaume Almera Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas ]]></institution>
<addr-line><![CDATA[Barcelona ]]></addr-line>
<country>España</country>
</aff>
<aff id="Af4">
<institution><![CDATA[,Universitat de Barcelona Departament de Cristallografia, Mineralogia i Dipòsits Minerals ]]></institution>
<addr-line><![CDATA[Barcelona ]]></addr-line>
<country>Spain</country>
</aff>
<pub-date pub-type="pub">
<day>00</day>
<month>00</month>
<year>2007</year>
</pub-date>
<pub-date pub-type="epub">
<day>00</day>
<month>00</month>
<year>2007</year>
</pub-date>
<volume>59</volume>
<numero>1</numero>
<fpage>63</fpage>
<lpage>70</lpage>
<copyright-statement/>
<copyright-year/>
<self-uri xlink:href="http://www.scielo.org.mx/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&amp;pid=S1405-33222007000100063&amp;lng=en&amp;nrm=iso"></self-uri><self-uri xlink:href="http://www.scielo.org.mx/scielo.php?script=sci_abstract&amp;pid=S1405-33222007000100063&amp;lng=en&amp;nrm=iso"></self-uri><self-uri xlink:href="http://www.scielo.org.mx/scielo.php?script=sci_pdf&amp;pid=S1405-33222007000100063&amp;lng=en&amp;nrm=iso"></self-uri><abstract abstract-type="short" xml:lang="es"><p><![CDATA[Resumen Trabajos de exploración en la mina de Naica (Chihuahua, México) han descubierto recientemente la existencia de varias cavidades que contengan cristales gigantes de yeso (CaSO4&#8226;2H2O) facetados y transparentes de hasta once metros de longitud. Desde el punto de vista del crecimiento cristalino, resulta evidente que estos grandes cristales debieron formarse a valores de sobresaturación muy bajos. El problema radica en explicar cómo las condiciones geoquímicas adecuadas pudieron mantenerse durante un largo periodo de tiempo sin fluctuaciones lo suficientemente grandes para evitar los nuevos eventos de nucleación. El análisis de inclusiones fluidas muestra que los cristales crecieron a partir de fluidos de baja salinidad a una temperatura de unos 54 °C, ligeramente por debajo de la temperatura a la que la solubilidad de la anhidrita (CaSO4) iguala a la del yeso. Las composiciones isotópicas del azufre y del oxígeno medidas en los cristales de yeso son compatibles con la cristalización del yeso a partir de aguas enriquecidas en sulfato cálcico resultantes de la disolución de anhidrita previamente precipitada durante la mineralización hidrotermal tardía. Estas consideraciones sugieren que estos megacristales se formaron mediante un mecanismo autoalimentado controlado por la transición de fase en disolución anhidrita/yeso. Los cálculos de cinética de nucleación basados en datos de laboratorio muestran que este mecanismo explica la formación de estos cristales gigantes, aunque solo cuando tiene lugar en el estrecho intervalo de temperaturas identificado en nuestro estudio de inclusiones fluidas. Estas condiciones singulares crean una maravilla natural, un lugar de gran interés científico y un fenómeno de mineralización extraordinario que debe ser preservado.]]></p></abstract>
<abstract abstract-type="short" xml:lang="en"><p><![CDATA[Abstract Exploration activities in the mine of Naica (Chihuahua, Mexico) recently unveiled several caves containing giant, faceted and transparent single crystals of gypsum (CaSO4·2H2O) up to eleven meters in length. From a crystallization point of view, it can be expected that the formation of these large crystals occur at very low supersaturation, the problem being to explain how proper geochemical conditions can be sustained for long time without large fluctuations that would trigger substantial nucleation. Fluid inclusions analyses show that crystals grew from low salinity solutions at a temperature around 54°C, slightly below the one at which the solubility of anhydrite equals the one of gypsum. Sulfur and oxygen isotopic composition of gypsum crystals is compatible with the growth from solutions resulting from dissolution of anhydrite previously precipitated during late hydrothermal mineralization, suggesting that these megacrystals formed by a self-feeding mechanism driven by solution mediated anhydrite-gypsum phase transition. Nucleation kinetics calculations based on laboratory data show that this mechanism can account for the formation of these giant crystals, yet only when operating within the very narrow range of temperature, identified by our fluid inclusions study. These singular conditions create a mineral wonderland, a site of scientific interest, and an extraordinary phenomenon worthy of preservation.]]></p></abstract>
<kwd-group>
<kwd lng="es"><![CDATA[Yeso]]></kwd>
<kwd lng="es"><![CDATA[selenita]]></kwd>
<kwd lng="es"><![CDATA[cristalización]]></kwd>
<kwd lng="es"><![CDATA[mineralogénesis]]></kwd>
<kwd lng="es"><![CDATA[megacristales]]></kwd>
<kwd lng="es"><![CDATA[Naica]]></kwd>
<kwd lng="es"><![CDATA[cinética de nucleación]]></kwd>
<kwd lng="es"><![CDATA[inclusiones fluidas]]></kwd>
<kwd lng="en"><![CDATA[Gypsum]]></kwd>
<kwd lng="en"><![CDATA[selenite]]></kwd>
<kwd lng="en"><![CDATA[crystallization]]></kwd>
<kwd lng="en"><![CDATA[mineral growth]]></kwd>
<kwd lng="en"><![CDATA[megacrystals]]></kwd>
<kwd lng="en"><![CDATA[anhydrite]]></kwd>
<kwd lng="en"><![CDATA[Naica]]></kwd>
<kwd lng="en"><![CDATA[nucleation kinetics]]></kwd>
<kwd lng="en"><![CDATA[fluid inclusions]]></kwd>
</kwd-group>
</article-meta>
</front><back>
<ref-list>
<ref id="B1">
<nlm-citation citation-type="journal">
<person-group person-group-type="author">
<name>
<surname><![CDATA[Bakker]]></surname>
<given-names><![CDATA[R.J.]]></given-names>
</name>
</person-group>
<article-title xml:lang=""><![CDATA[Package FLUIDS 1. New computer programs for the analysis of fluid inclusion data and for modeling bulk fluid properties]]></article-title>
<source><![CDATA[Chemical Geology]]></source>
<year>2003</year>
<volume>194</volume>
<page-range>3-23</page-range></nlm-citation>
</ref>
<ref id="B2">
<nlm-citation citation-type="journal">
<person-group person-group-type="author">
<name>
<surname><![CDATA[Blount]]></surname>
<given-names><![CDATA[C.W.]]></given-names>
</name>
<name>
<surname><![CDATA[Dickson]]></surname>
<given-names><![CDATA[F.W.]]></given-names>
</name>
</person-group>
<article-title xml:lang=""><![CDATA[Gypsum-anhydrite equilibria in systems CaSO4-H2O and CaSO4-NaCl-H2O]]></article-title>
<source><![CDATA[American Mineralogist]]></source>
<year>1973</year>
<volume>58</volume>
<page-range>323-31</page-range></nlm-citation>
</ref>
<ref id="B3">
<nlm-citation citation-type="journal">
<person-group person-group-type="author">
<name>
<surname><![CDATA[Bodnar]]></surname>
<given-names><![CDATA[R.J.]]></given-names>
</name>
</person-group>
<article-title xml:lang=""><![CDATA[Revised equation and table for determining the freezing point depression of H2O-NaCl solutions]]></article-title>
<source><![CDATA[Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta]]></source>
<year>1993</year>
<volume>57</volume>
<page-range>683-4</page-range></nlm-citation>
</ref>
<ref id="B4">
<nlm-citation citation-type="">
<person-group person-group-type="author">
<name>
<surname><![CDATA[Butler]]></surname>
<given-names><![CDATA[G.P.]]></given-names>
</name>
</person-group>
<article-title xml:lang=""><![CDATA[Strontium geochemistry of modern and ancient calcium sulphate minerals]]></article-title>
<person-group person-group-type="editor">
<name>
<surname><![CDATA[Purser]]></surname>
<given-names><![CDATA[B.H.]]></given-names>
</name>
</person-group>
<source><![CDATA[The Persian Gulf: Berlin, Springer-Verlag]]></source>
<year>1973</year>
<page-range>423-52</page-range></nlm-citation>
</ref>
<ref id="B5">
<nlm-citation citation-type="journal">
<person-group person-group-type="author">
<name>
<surname><![CDATA[Erwood]]></surname>
<given-names><![CDATA[R.J.]]></given-names>
</name>
<name>
<surname><![CDATA[Kesler]]></surname>
<given-names><![CDATA[S.E.]]></given-names>
</name>
<name>
<surname><![CDATA[Cloke]]></surname>
<given-names><![CDATA[P.L.]]></given-names>
</name>
</person-group>
<article-title xml:lang=""><![CDATA[Compositionally distinct, saline hydrothermal solutions, Naica Mine, Chihuahua, Mexico]]></article-title>
<source><![CDATA[Economic Geology and Bulletin of the Society of Economic Geologists]]></source>
<year>1979</year>
<volume>74</volume>
<page-range>95-108</page-range></nlm-citation>
</ref>
<ref id="B6">
<nlm-citation citation-type="journal">
<person-group person-group-type="author">
<name>
<surname><![CDATA[Foshag]]></surname>
<given-names><![CDATA[W.]]></given-names>
</name>
</person-group>
<article-title xml:lang=""><![CDATA[The selenite caves of Naica, Mexico]]></article-title>
<source><![CDATA[American Mineralogist]]></source>
<year>1927</year>
<volume>12</volume>
<page-range>252-6</page-range></nlm-citation>
</ref>
<ref id="B7">
<nlm-citation citation-type="journal">
<person-group person-group-type="author">
<name>
<surname><![CDATA[García-Guinea]]></surname>
<given-names><![CDATA[J.]]></given-names>
</name>
<name>
<surname><![CDATA[Morales]]></surname>
<given-names><![CDATA[S.]]></given-names>
</name>
<name>
<surname><![CDATA[Delgado]]></surname>
<given-names><![CDATA[A.]]></given-names>
</name>
<name>
<surname><![CDATA[Recio]]></surname>
<given-names><![CDATA[C.]]></given-names>
</name>
<name>
<surname><![CDATA[Calahorra]]></surname>
<given-names><![CDATA[J.M.]]></given-names>
</name>
</person-group>
<article-title xml:lang=""><![CDATA[Formation of gigantic gypsum crystals]]></article-title>
<source><![CDATA[Geological Society (London) Journal]]></source>
<year>2002</year>
<volume>159</volume>
<page-range>347-50</page-range></nlm-citation>
</ref>
<ref id="B8">
<nlm-citation citation-type="journal">
<person-group person-group-type="author">
<name>
<surname><![CDATA[Hardie]]></surname>
<given-names><![CDATA[L.A.]]></given-names>
</name>
</person-group>
<article-title xml:lang=""><![CDATA[The gypsum-anhydrite equilibrium at one atmosphere pressure]]></article-title>
<source><![CDATA[American Mineralogist]]></source>
<year>1967</year>
<volume>52</volume>
<page-range>171-200</page-range></nlm-citation>
</ref>
<ref id="B9">
<nlm-citation citation-type="journal">
<person-group person-group-type="author">
<name>
<surname><![CDATA[He]]></surname>
<given-names><![CDATA[S.]]></given-names>
</name>
<name>
<surname><![CDATA[Oddo]]></surname>
<given-names><![CDATA[J.E.]]></given-names>
</name>
<name>
<surname><![CDATA[Tomson]]></surname>
<given-names><![CDATA[M.B.]]></given-names>
</name>
</person-group>
<article-title xml:lang=""><![CDATA[The nucleation kinetics of calcium sulfate dihydrate in NaCl solutions up to 6 m and 90°C]]></article-title>
<source><![CDATA[Journal of Colloid and Interface Science]]></source>
<year>1994</year>
<volume>162</volume>
<page-range>297-303</page-range></nlm-citation>
</ref>
<ref id="B10">
<nlm-citation citation-type="journal">
<person-group person-group-type="author">
<name>
<surname><![CDATA[Lancia]]></surname>
<given-names><![CDATA[A.]]></given-names>
</name>
<name>
<surname><![CDATA[Musmarra]]></surname>
<given-names><![CDATA[D.]]></given-names>
</name>
<name>
<surname><![CDATA[Prisciandaro]]></surname>
<given-names><![CDATA[M.]]></given-names>
</name>
</person-group>
<article-title xml:lang=""><![CDATA[Measurement of the induction period for calcium sulfate dihydrate precipitation]]></article-title>
<source><![CDATA[American Institute of Chemical Engineers Journal]]></source>
<year>1999</year>
<volume>45</volume>
<page-range>390-7</page-range></nlm-citation>
</ref>
<ref id="B11">
<nlm-citation citation-type="">
<person-group person-group-type="author">
<name>
<surname><![CDATA[Lang]]></surname>
<given-names><![CDATA[J.R.]]></given-names>
</name>
</person-group>
<source><![CDATA[A geological evaluation of the Naica deposit, Chihuahua, Mexico: Internal Report of Compañía Fresnillo]]></source>
<year>1995</year>
<page-range>109</page-range><publisher-loc><![CDATA[Mexico ]]></publisher-loc>
</nlm-citation>
</ref>
<ref id="B12">
<nlm-citation citation-type="journal">
<person-group person-group-type="author">
<name>
<surname><![CDATA[Marín Herrera]]></surname>
<given-names><![CDATA[B.R.]]></given-names>
</name>
<name>
<surname><![CDATA[Vogel González]]></surname>
<given-names><![CDATA[F.]]></given-names>
</name>
<name>
<surname><![CDATA[Echegoyén Guzmán]]></surname>
<given-names><![CDATA[R.]]></given-names>
</name>
</person-group>
<article-title xml:lang=""><![CDATA[Las megaselenitas del distrito minero de Naica, Chihuahua, una ocurrencia mineralógica anómala]]></article-title>
<source><![CDATA[Boletín de Mineralogía]]></source>
<year>2006</year>
<volume>17</volume>
<numero>70</numero>
<issue>70</issue>
<page-range>139-48</page-range></nlm-citation>
</ref>
<ref id="B13">
<nlm-citation citation-type="journal">
<person-group person-group-type="author">
<name>
<surname><![CDATA[Megaw]]></surname>
<given-names><![CDATA[P.K.M.]]></given-names>
</name>
<name>
<surname><![CDATA[Ruiz]]></surname>
<given-names><![CDATA[J.]]></given-names>
</name>
<name>
<surname><![CDATA[Titley]]></surname>
<given-names><![CDATA[S.R.]]></given-names>
</name>
</person-group>
<article-title xml:lang=""><![CDATA[High-temperature, carbonate hosted Pb-Zn-Ag (Cu) deposits of northern Mexico]]></article-title>
<source><![CDATA[Economic Geology and Bulletin of the Society of Economic Geologists]]></source>
<year>1988</year>
<volume>83</volume>
<page-range>1856--1885</page-range></nlm-citation>
</ref>
<ref id="B14">
<nlm-citation citation-type="book">
<person-group person-group-type="author">
<name>
<surname><![CDATA[Mullin]]></surname>
<given-names><![CDATA[J.W.]]></given-names>
</name>
</person-group>
<source><![CDATA[Crystallization (third edition)]]></source>
<year>1993</year>
<page-range>527</page-range><publisher-loc><![CDATA[Oxford ]]></publisher-loc>
<publisher-name><![CDATA[Butterworth- Heinemann]]></publisher-name>
</nlm-citation>
</ref>
<ref id="B15">
<nlm-citation citation-type="journal">
<person-group person-group-type="author">
<name>
<surname><![CDATA[Palache]]></surname>
<given-names><![CDATA[C.]]></given-names>
</name>
</person-group>
<article-title xml:lang=""><![CDATA[The largest crystals]]></article-title>
<source><![CDATA[American Mineralogist]]></source>
<year>1932</year>
<volume>17</volume>
<page-range>362-3</page-range></nlm-citation>
</ref>
<ref id="B16">
<nlm-citation citation-type="">
<person-group person-group-type="author">
<name>
<surname><![CDATA[Parkhurst]]></surname>
<given-names><![CDATA[D.L.]]></given-names>
</name>
<name>
<surname><![CDATA[Appelo]]></surname>
<given-names><![CDATA[C.A.J.]]></given-names>
</name>
</person-group>
<source><![CDATA[PHREEQC - A hydrogeochemical transport model]]></source>
<year>2003</year>
</nlm-citation>
</ref>
<ref id="B17">
<nlm-citation citation-type="journal">
<person-group person-group-type="author">
<name>
<surname><![CDATA[Partridge]]></surname>
<given-names><![CDATA[E.P.]]></given-names>
</name>
<name>
<surname><![CDATA[White]]></surname>
<given-names><![CDATA[A.H.]]></given-names>
</name>
</person-group>
<article-title xml:lang=""><![CDATA[The solubility of calcium sulfate from 0 to 200°]]></article-title>
<source><![CDATA[American Chemical Society Journal]]></source>
<year>1929</year>
<volume>51</volume>
<page-range>360--370</page-range></nlm-citation>
</ref>
<ref id="B18">
<nlm-citation citation-type="journal">
<person-group person-group-type="author">
<name>
<surname><![CDATA[Polyak]]></surname>
<given-names><![CDATA[V.J.]]></given-names>
</name>
<name>
<surname><![CDATA[Güven]]></surname>
<given-names><![CDATA[N.]]></given-names>
</name>
</person-group>
<article-title xml:lang=""><![CDATA[Alunite, natroalunite and hydrated halloysite in Carlsbad Cavern and Lechuguilla Cave, New Mexico]]></article-title>
<source><![CDATA[Clays and Clay Minerals]]></source>
<year>1996</year>
<volume>44</volume>
<page-range>843--850</page-range></nlm-citation>
</ref>
<ref id="B19">
<nlm-citation citation-type="journal">
<person-group person-group-type="author">
<name>
<surname><![CDATA[Posnjak]]></surname>
<given-names><![CDATA[E.]]></given-names>
</name>
</person-group>
<article-title xml:lang=""><![CDATA[The system CaSO4-H2O]]></article-title>
<source><![CDATA[American Journal of Science]]></source>
<year>1938</year>
<volume>235A</volume>
<page-range>247--272</page-range></nlm-citation>
</ref>
<ref id="B20">
<nlm-citation citation-type="journal">
<person-group person-group-type="author">
<name>
<surname><![CDATA[Rickwood]]></surname>
<given-names><![CDATA[P.C.]]></given-names>
</name>
</person-group>
<article-title xml:lang=""><![CDATA[The largest crystals]]></article-title>
<source><![CDATA[American Mineralogist]]></source>
<year>1981</year>
<volume>66</volume>
<page-range>885-907</page-range></nlm-citation>
</ref>
<ref id="B21">
<nlm-citation citation-type="journal">
<person-group person-group-type="author">
<name>
<surname><![CDATA[Stone]]></surname>
<given-names><![CDATA[J.G.]]></given-names>
</name>
</person-group>
<article-title xml:lang=""><![CDATA[Ore genesis in the Naica District, Chihuahua, Mexico]]></article-title>
<source><![CDATA[Economic Geology and Bulletin of the Society of Economic Geologists]]></source>
<year>1959</year>
<volume>54</volume>
<page-range>1002-34</page-range></nlm-citation>
</ref>
<ref id="B22">
<nlm-citation citation-type="journal">
<person-group person-group-type="author">
<name>
<surname><![CDATA[Thode]]></surname>
<given-names><![CDATA[H.G.]]></given-names>
</name>
<name>
<surname><![CDATA[Monster]]></surname>
<given-names><![CDATA[J.]]></given-names>
</name>
</person-group>
<article-title xml:lang=""><![CDATA[Sulfur-isotope geochemistry of petroleum, evaporites, and ancient seas]]></article-title>
<person-group person-group-type="editor">
<name>
<surname><![CDATA[Young]]></surname>
<given-names><![CDATA[A.]]></given-names>
</name>
<name>
<surname><![CDATA[Galley]]></surname>
<given-names><![CDATA[J.E.]]></given-names>
</name>
</person-group>
<source><![CDATA[American Association of Petroleum Geologists Memoir]]></source>
<year>1965</year>
<volume>4</volume>
<page-range>367-77</page-range></nlm-citation>
</ref>
<ref id="B23">
<nlm-citation citation-type="journal">
<person-group person-group-type="author">
<name>
<surname><![CDATA[Turner]]></surname>
<given-names><![CDATA[J.S.]]></given-names>
</name>
</person-group>
<article-title xml:lang=""><![CDATA[Multicomponent convection]]></article-title>
<source><![CDATA[Annual Review of Fluid Mechanics]]></source>
<year>1985</year>
<volume>17</volume>
<page-range>11--44</page-range></nlm-citation>
</ref>
</ref-list>
</back>
</article>
