Sometimes they seem like a part of some magical unexplored world or the perfect scenery for a fairytale. Caves are one of the most exciting creations of mother nature, full of thrilling and mystical experiences waiting for the explorer’s hungry eyes.
Before we talk about caves and how much we admire them we need to know how were they formed. There are many types of cave in the world and many different ways they have been created.
One example of cave formation is a long process that begins when acid rain, containing carbon dioxide and rainwater, falls to earth. When the acid rain makes contact with the solid rocks in the lower layers of the ground, they start to dissolve.
With rocks made of limestone and dolomite, the chemical process is faster. After the rock dissolves, it creates hollow spaces that fill with rainwater and create underground water bodies like streams and rivers. Erosion and weather conditions also help in cave formation. After a thousand years, the cave could be big enough for a human to enter and after million years there are spectacular cave systems full of stalactites and stalagmites.
Cave of Crystals (Chihuahua, Mexico)
The Cave of Crystals is the world’s biggest stash of Selenite crystals. The temperature inside is between 55 and 58 degrees Celsius and 99% humid. Bellow the cave’s floor there is a magma chamber that heats up the ground water and creates the crystals. The largest of all was 12 meters long with a diameter of 4 meters.
Krubera Cave (Abkhazia, Georgia)
Krubera Cave is the deepest known cave on our planet with a depth of more than 2000 meters. The cave got the name from the famous Russian geographer Alexander Kruber. It’s also known as the cave of the crows because there were many crows nests found inside.
Fingal’s Cave ( Staffa, Scotland)
An interesting thing about this cave is that you can hear the waves inside of it. Fingal’s cave is formed by basalt and lava flow.
Puerto Princesa Underground River (Palawan, Philipines)
This underground river is a natural wonder located in Palawan, Philipines.
It’s a two-floor cave with small waterfalls inside, a deep water hole in the river, more river channels, rock formations and huge bats.
Batu Caves (Malaysia)
The limestone that forms these caves is 400 million years old. It’s the biggest Hindu shrine in the world outside of India. The name comes from Sungai Batu (Stone River). It contains a huge diversity of fauna, such as rare spider species and fruit bats. It’s also a very important religious place.
Glowworms Cave (New Zealand)
This incredible cave is full of glowing worms that hang from the sealing in a chain formation. This unique insect glows to attract an unsuspected prey and make these caves look spectacular.
Son Doong Cave (Vietnam)
Son Doong cave is the largest cave in the world. It’s full of amazing wonders such as isolated ecosystems, geological formations, and it’s very own weather systems.
Mammoth Cave (Kentucky, USA)
Mammoth Cave National Park is the longest cave system in the world spread over 52 830 hectares. Some of the cave’s significant features are Grand Avenue, Frozen Niagara, and the famous Fat Man’s Misery.
If you ever get a chance to visit some of these caves do it, don’t think about it, and you will have an unforgettable experience.
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We live in a beautiful world, get out there and enjoy it.
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