Tuesday, June 23, 2009

In love with NATURE

One of the deepest known cave pits, Fantastic Pit in Georgia's Ellison's Cave descends 586 feet (179 meters) in a straight tunnel:

Garni caves in Armenia. (photo by Eco culture)


Already mentioned Luray Caverns in Virginia are full of celebrated speleothems formations, calcite crystals of abnormal shapes - all formed when the chambers were completely filled with water, highly charged with acid. The acid began to eat away the softer material, resulting in ornate pinnacles and arches...



Largest Cave Systems We mentioned the Jeita Grotto - the largest cave system in the Middle East- in our recent Lebanon article. The longest known stalactite in the world is found there at 8.2 meters long. - The deepest known cave is Voronya Cave in Abkhazia, Georgia and has been explored to a depth of 2191 meters. - The longest continuous cave system yet explored is Mammoth Cave in Kentucky, covering 591 kilometers.

Gruta do Mimoso, Brazil

Gruta do Mimoso, Brazil

A "Wishing Well" at Luray Caverns in Virginia (photo by Declan McCullagh)
Gruta do Lago Azul, Bonito, Brazil.

Caves: The World Beneath the World!
If you are stretched and squeezed by everyday life, then you might be in perfect shape to explore caves. Enter a narrow natural passageway that may lead to simply mind-boggling underground world. Caves may lurk right under your feet: a fascinating and unexpected environment, which is often known only to spelunkers and dedicated Gollum-seekers.