dwarrowdelf
14 years ago
In a number of places in Cwmorthin, white deposits were observed on the ceiling. This was particulary note-worthy high up in the chamber west of the back vien incline though which the manway decends. Was wondering if this is some kind of cave fungus or perhaps crystals, although there seems to be something organic about it. We didn't have the opportunity of a close up view as where it occured was for the most part inaccessible
Photograph:

🔗Cwmorthin-Slate-Mine-User-Album-Image-62736[linkphoto]Cwmorthin-Slate-Mine-User-Album-Image-62736[/linkphoto][/link]
'I wonder how many breakfasts, and other meals we have missed inside that nasty clockless, timeless hole?'

'The Hobbit'
J R R Tolkien.
Strangely Brown
14 years ago
Most likely to be epsom salts, I've spotted this in most slate mines to a greater or lesser extent, mostly just a fine coating but I have seen spiky cristals up to about 9mm long in places. Tend to be found in dryer places. Another candidate would be calcite deposits deposited by water.
Light thinks it travels faster than anything but it is wrong. No matter how fast light travels, it finds the darkness has always got there first, and is waiting for it.
dwarrowdelf
14 years ago
We saw these crystals on a previous Cwmorthin trip and managed to get a close up shot, but for some reason I didn't associate these with the deposits observed high up on the ceiling of the manway chamber.

[photo]Cwmorthin-Slate-Mine-User-Album-Image-58749[/photo]

'I wonder how many breakfasts, and other meals we have missed inside that nasty clockless, timeless hole?'

'The Hobbit'
J R R Tolkien.
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