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Lechuguilla Cave
Lechuguilla Cave is the fifth longest cave
(126.1 miles (203 km)) known to exist in the
world, and the deepest in the continental
United States (1,604 feet (489 m)), but it is
most famous for its unusual geology, rare
formations, and pristine (нетронутый)
condition.
The cave is named for Agave lechuguilla, a
plant found near its entrance. It is located in
Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico.
Access to the cave is limited to approved
scientific researchers, survey and exploration
teams, and National Park Service
management-related trips.
Lechuguilla Cave was known until 1986 as a small, fairly insignificant historic site in the
park's backcountry.
The historic cave contained a 90-foot (27 m) entrance pit known as Misery Hole, which
led to 400 feet (122 m) of dry dead-end passages. A group of Colorado cavers gained
permission from the National Park Service and began digging in 1984. The
breakthrough, into large walking passages, occurred on May 26, 1986.
Since 1986, explorers have mapped over 126 miles (203 km) of passages and have
pushed the depth of the cave to 1,604 feet (489 m), ranking Lechuguilla as the 5th
longest cave in the world (4th longest in the United States) and the deepest limestone
cave in the country. Cavers, drawn by the caves' pristine condition and rare beauty,
come from around the world to explore and map its passages and geology.
Lechuguilla Cave offered even
more than just its extreme
size. Cavers were greeted by
large amounts of gypsum and
lemon-yellow sulfur deposits.
Scientific exploration has been conducted 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 (сера) lends
support to speleogenesis by sulfuric acid dissolution.
The sulfuric acid is believed to be derived from
hydrogen sulfide which migrated from nearby oil
deposits. Thus, this cavern apparently formed from
the bottom up, in contrast to the normal top-down
carbonic acid dissolution mechanism of cave
formation.
Rare, chemolithoautotrophic bacteria are believed to
occur in the cave. These bacteria feed on the sulfur,
iron, and manganese (марганец) 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 (целебный) 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.
Lechuguilla Cave was shown in the BBC documentary series Planet Earth.
The Denver Museum of Natural History (now known as the Denver Museum of Nature
and Science) filmed one of the first documentaries in the cave titled "Lechuguilla Cave:
The Hidden Giant" in 1987 featuring many of the cavers responsible for the
breakthrough and initial survey work.
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