Peculiar minerogenetic cave enviroments of Mexico: The Cuatro Ciénegas area

The karst area of Quatro Ciénegas (Coahuila, Mexico) representsan ideaI site to study cave mineralogy, because it hostscaves of different age and genesis (karst, thermal, mine caves).Among the speleothems studied is worth to mention a nest ofaragonite cave pearls found deep inside the Reforma mine characterizedby the total absence of growing layers inside them.Despite only few studied caves (8), some 32 different cave mineralshave been detected, one of which is new for the cavern environment(kingsmountite) and another one, still undel' study,which probably will result new for science. Due to the scientificinterest of their chemical deposits it should be very importantto protect in the future the natural cavities of the karst systemsof Cuatro Ciénegas in order to preserve a scientific patrimony,actually only partially known.