BENSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Kartchner Caverns State Park is known for its diversity of minerals. On March 1, park staff spotted one that's particularly rare inside of caves here.
"We started to notice these...small mounds of dirt, and we found, after closer inspection, that it was a very rare mineral for Kartchner Caverns," said Cave Resource Manager, Chelsea Ballard. "We were very shocked.”
The mineral they found is called Nitrocalcite Cotton:
"The 'cotton' material is roughly about a couple centimeters, and the mounds of dirt themselves are only about an inch in height,” Ballard said.
They're growing in a part of the cave not accessible by the public. Ballard says the area of the cave where the mineral is growing is by a natural opening used by bats to have their babies. Now, staff is treading carefully so they don't disturb the area.
"We’ll just let nature do its thing, but it will eventually, like, degrade back into the sediments,” Ballard said.
Nitrocalcite Cotton can be found throughout the country, including here in the southwest—but it is rare at Kartchner Cavers because of the humidity inside the caves.
"For Kartcher, it's very unique, because the cave itself is about 99% humidity, and for this mineral to grow, it needs to be in a dry area," Ballard said. "We have had a very dry winter, so that is likely one of the reasons that is growing in the cave.”
The last time Nitrocalcite Cotton was reported seen in Cochise County was in the 1990s.
"I've been studying caves for over 15 years, and for me to witness and see a mineral that's rare for Kartchner Caverns was super exciting back here,” Ballard said.
The staff here isn't sure how long this mineral is going to last in the caverns.
“The thing about Kartchner Caverns is, we're always discovering something new, whether if it's something new to science, or something new for us to understand caves are one of the last sciences or resources to be explored and studied on or within the planet,” Ballard said.
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Alexis Ramanjulu is a reporter in Cochise County for KGUN 9. She began her journalism career reporting for the Herald/Review in Sierra Vista, which she also calls home. Share your story ideas with Alexis by emailing alexis.ramanjulu@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook.
