The world's longest underground river

Blob · #1 (**permalink**) 06-March-2007, 04:38 AM

Quote:

Cave divers in Mexico's Yucatan peninsula have discovered what may be the world's longest underground river, connecting two cave systems with a waterway at least 95 miles long.
A group of foreign divers exploring the area near the Caribbean beach resort of Playa del Carmen have yet to name the stretch, but believe it could be connected to two other major systems, adding more than 125 miles to its length.

Quote:

Bogaerts and Schmittner spent four years swimming the length of the system, making about 500 dives with scuba tanks, linking one sinkhole lake to the next. Some passages were "big enough for a jumbo jet," while others were so narrow divers had to remove their tanks to wiggle through.
The breakthrough discovery - the passage connecting Nohoch Nah Chich ("The Giant Birdcage" in Maya) and Sac Actun ("White Cave") - was made by the two divers on Jan. 23.
Jonathan Martin, an assistant professor of geology at the University of Florida, said the discovery - which has not yet been published in scientific journals - appeared feasible, based on the geological formations of the Yucatan.

www.caves.org

Jim · #2 (**permalink**) 06-March-2007, 02:00 PM

Some passages were "big enough for a jumbo jet," while others were so narrow divers had to remove their tanks to wiggle through.

I have great respect for anyone who does this (cave dives); it is extremely dangerous.

They are crazy as a flock of hoot owls, but they have my respect.

Blob · #3 (**permalink**) 06-March-2007, 04:35 PM

Hum,
it sounds a bit like getting served at the jumble sales here.

Quote:

Two scuba divers in the Yucatan peninsula have discovered what is the world's longest underground river known so far, Mexican daily newspaper "La Jornada" reported Saturday.
The discovery occurred in January near the Tulum archaeological zone, south of Cancun, when the German and English divers Robbie Schmittner and Steve Boagarts managed to connect two rivers previously thought to be independent. The total extension measured 153. 6 kilometres with a maximum depth of 72 metres.

Read more

Latitude=20.21697N, Longitude=-87.47224W (roughly)

Blob · #4 (**permalink**) 06-March-2007, 04:36 PM

Quote:

A Scottish student has used the skills learned in getting his university degree to discover the world's longest underground river. Peter MacNab, 30, has just returned from a month-long caving expedition to Vietnam where he discovered the longest cave in mainland Southeast Asia, through which runs what is thought to be the world's longest underground watercourse--the Son Trach River.

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Geography and Other Worlds - Speculations	filrabat	General Science	39	09-June-2006 05:09 PM
Envisat is Watching the World's River Levels	Fraser	Universe Today Story Comments	0	07-October-2005 03:24 AM
Yangtze River From Space	Fraser	Universe Today Story Comments	0	12-September-2005 12:10 AM
what is the cause of tides?	dutche	Against the Mainstream	212	27-April-2005 09:03 PM
A curious discrepancy	Glom	Small Media at Large	22	30-October-2003 03:34 PM