In the first of a new series ofÌýNature,Ìýenjoy a thrilling and revelatory journey into the bowels of the earth, as 91Èȱ¬ Natural History Unit producer, Huw Cordey embarks on the journey of a lifetime when he travels into Lechuguilla, the deepest cave in the United States. Here, he discovers some of the world's most beautiful gypsum crystal formations.
Discovered in the late 80's, Lechuguilla Cave is the ultimate destination for any caver. It's situated in the Carlsbad Caverns National Park, about 5 miles from the Carlsbad caves. Its exact location and entry point is a closely guarded secret to protect the cave's fragile ecosystem: unique crystal formations which could so easily be damaged by human exposure. Lechuguilla is a winding, twisting underground maze, which has yet to be completely explored and mapped. To date, some 101 miles of the cave have been explored and mapped, and the deepest part of the cave reaches a depth of 1632 feet.
Apart from its vast size, what makes Lechuguilla so impressive, are its contents: the stunning gypsum crystal formations. Unlike most caves that are formed from the top down, Lechuguilla was created thousands of years ago, from the bottom up. It began as a result of hydrogen sulphide gas, bubbling up from oil reservoirs, deep under the ground. A chemical reaction between the hydrogen sulphide gas, and the oxygen molecules in the groundwater, created a very powerful acid; sulphuric acid. This sulphuric acid ate through the layers of limestone underground, leaving a maze of open cracks, crevices, caves and passages; which have been given names like Snow White's Passage, the Chandelier Ballroom and Whodoo Hall.
Lechuguilla is a warm, dry cave: almost unheard of, and its for this reasons that the breath-taking crystal formations have not dissolved in water. Chamber after chamber contains a huge diversity of forms: from minute and delicate crystals flowers, to vast organ pipe-like tendrils. So fragile is this ecosystem though, that everything that goes into the cave has to come out: including all human food and waste. There is no light at all and the route is a challenge to even the best of cavers.
Huw Cordey has been given rare access to the cave. In Nature,you can join Huw on some of the most exhilarating caving exploits, as he abseils down huge drops, squeezes through tiny passages, camps underground and journeys into the bowels of the earth in search of Lechuguilla's jewels!
And if NatureÌýÌýhas whetted your appetite for caving, then you'll be pleased to hear that can see inside Lechuguilla with the 91Èȱ¬ television series Planet Earth, scheduled for 2006.
Further Reading
- Lechuguilla: Jewel of the Underground - Michael Taylor
- Lechuguilla - National Speleological Society
- Deep Secrets: The Discovery and Exploration of Lechuguilla Cave - Stephen Reames, Lawrence Fish, Paul Burger, Patricia Kambesis (Also available in hardback)
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Ìý30Ìýmin
