Saturday, November 15, 2008

Amazing Caves: The World Beneath the World

(image via)
Iran: tremendous cave system
Katale khor is acave dating back to the Jurassic period. It's one of the "snow caves" in the Southwest Zanjan province and connects to other caves - huge underground infra-structure which can hide who knows what (definitely anti-American….wink wink).
See more pictures here



(images credit: Ali Majdfar)
Can'ts get enough images of Iran's natural beauty see our previous articles….a
country full of great sights and dubious politics.
Vietnam: Hang Thien Cung cave
There are plenty of caves in Vietnam, and just like in China, many are illuminated with garish colors. (see here). But sometimes even artificial light takes back stage to the incredible rock textures:

(image credit: Tai Vo)
In 2000, one of the most unusual and splendid caves was found in Mexico by miners.
Located only a mile from an upthrust of magma, this cave is 112 degrees Farenheit
and at 90-100% humidity, limiting greatly the amount of time explorers can spend in it.
It is asectacular cave, with gigantic crystal formations thought to be 600,000years old.



(photos by Javier Trueba/Madrid Scientific Films, image via)
The crystals formed underwater; as water saturated with calcium sulfate heated in the
cavern selenite molecules crystallized and grew, undisturbed, to giant proportions. The
cave was drained(by unknowing miners) in the 1980's and stopped the process of growth. Who knows what we may find further on, in the heat and water

a description of one photographer's attempt to document this cave is here.


(images credit: Richard Fisher)
"It I unquestionably magical that the cool white rays of moonlight can originate deep underground in a black chamber that is, a least in my perception, white hot." (Richard Fisher, photographer, comments on the huge selenite crystals.)
A Giant Geode
Geodes are normally formed bye volcanic or sedimentary geologic activity – a cavity in
the rock is formed, inside which crystals begin to grow, such as amethyst, quartz or a
number of other. Most geodes are small enough to fit in your hand, but this one is
large enough to climb inside. The crystals found here are gypsum. – More info.


(images credit: Javier-Guinea)
The largest Geode Cave in US is located in Ohio: Crystal cave, check in out.
Ancient Cave Cities
Khosrov Caves in Armenia served as a shelter to ancient tribes – in a perfectly cinematic location.

(image credit : 18:18)

(photos bye Raffi Kojina and eco culture)
We wrote about Coppadocia cave city in Turkey before. But you might not be aware
that more modern establishment makes its home there – luxury hotel.

Considering how hot it can get outside, it definitely provides a welcome coolness.

(Images via)
This PC case mod would fit right there, in that cave hotel room


(case mod by Mashie)
then again, there's a wildly original Stockholm subway station, seemingly built inside a natural(in reality – blasted) caye.



"Metro on Mars"

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