Below the surface
I was going to do another photo-filled essay about mountains, snow and exciting winter recreation, but given the recent amount of shoveling, snow-blowing and terrifying avalanche conditions in the backcountry, I thought I’d give our readers a break from all that and go ahead and feature something completely different: CaCO3. That’s right, calcium carbonate! What could be more exciting than one of the most common chemical compounds found in the world? In the subterranean realm that exists beneath our feet are vast caves where this otherwise boring substance takes on an unimaginable life of its own. Slowly depositing drip by drip, mineral-laden waters seeping through layers of limestone bedrock build incredible formations that are eons in the making. Here in the Southwest, we have some of the most scientifically relevant (and beautiful) caves known to exist in the world. Here’s a look at a few CaCO3 specimens that are sure to peg your imagination:
