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Lechuguilla CaveLechuguilla Cave is the deepest and the third longest limestone cave in the United States. It is one of more than 80 caves in Carlsbad Caverns National Park. Agave Lechuguilla - which gave the name to the cave - is a member of the Family Agavaceae that grows all around the cave entrance. Lechuguilla Cave is called the most beautiful cave of the World, as it is full of speleothems and troglobionts found nowhere else in the world. This is the reason, why it is very difficult to visit Lechuguilla. Because it is the most beautiful cave of the world, the National Park Authorities try to keep it in an undisturbed state. Speleologist have to proof that they are able and willing to take care of the cave. For a few years less than ten expeditions per year were allowed. After the theft of a very famous cave pearl, the cave was closed completely! The recent exploration and scientific discoveries in Lechuguilla Cave, and other caves in the park, hold immense potential for scientific research. But still there is a drawback: the caves are extremely fractile, as especially the selenite formations may be destroyed even by slightest changes in humidity. GeologyLechuguilla Cave offered even more than just its extreme size. Cavers were greeted by large amounts of gypsum and lemon-yellow sulfur deposits. A fantastic array of rare speleothems, some of which had never been seen anywhere in the world, included 20 foot (6 m) gypsum chandeliers, 20 foot gypsum hairs and beards, 15 foot (5 m) soda straws, hydromagnesite balloons, cave pearls, subaqueous helictites, rusticles, U-loops and J-loops. Lechuguilla Cave surpassed its nearby sister, Carlsbad Cavern, in size, depth, and variety of speleothems, though no room has been discovered yet in Lechuguilla Cave which is larger than Carlsbad's Big Room. Scientific exploration has been exciting as well. For the first time a Guadalupe Mountains cave extends deep enough that scientists may study five separate geologic formations from the inside. The profusion of gypsum and sulfur lends support to speleogenesis by sulfuric acid dissolution. Rare, chemolithoautotrophic bacteria are believed to occur in the cave. These bacteria feed on the sulfur, iron, and manganese minerals and may assist in enlarging the cave and determining the shapes of some unusual speleothems. Other studies indicate that some microbes may have medicinal qualities that are beneficial to humans. Lechuguilla Cave lies beneath a park wilderness area. However, it appears that the cave's passages may extend out of the park into adjacent Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land. A major threat to the cave is proposed gas and oil drilling on BLM land. Any leakage of gas or fluids into the cave's passages could kill cave life or cause explosions. Links about Lechuguilla CaveLechuguilla Cave Study Lechuguilla Useful Information Journey into Lechuguilla by Michael Ray Taylor The Unknown Cave of Mystery New Discoveries In Lechuguilla Cave The Giant Crystal Project: Lechuguilla Cave, New Mexico |
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Breathing space at Lechuguilla Cave by Jason M. Richards - Lechuguilla Cave can finally breathe a sigh of relief. In 1914, Lechuguilla Cave was mined for guano. By 1986, cavers recognized the possibility of an extensive cave system and excavated an opening into the depths of the cave. Lechuguilla Cave Virtual Tour - Take a virtual tour of the Deepest Cave in the US... Lechuguilla Cave Expedition by: Brian K. Alger - The trip was planned for the third week of September. Because of work requirements, school deadlines, and my wife, I was not sure how I was going to pull off making this trip... |
The Hidden World of Lechuguilla Cave by James Abarr - In a small canyon near the northern boundary of Carlsbad Caverns National Park, a narrow slash in a desert hillside gives little indication of what lies beneath. Natural Resources: Lechuguilla Cave - Lechuguilla Cave was known until 1986 as a small, fairly insignificant historic site in the park's backcountry. Small amounts of bat guano were mined from the entrance passages for a year under a mining claim filed in 1914. The historic cave contained a 90-foot entrance pit which led to 400 feet of dry dead-end passages. |
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