Notable Caves of the World

NOTABLE CAVES OF THE WORLD

Name Location Interesting Facts

• ceiling paintings discovered in 1879 by an eight-year- Spain Altamira old girl 43.377 °N, 4.123 °W • noted for its many cave paintings New Mexico • altitude and insulating effects of lava cave walls Bandera Volcano Ice Cave 34.991 °N, 108.083 °W maintain blue-green ice formations year-round Italy • sea cave that seems to be lit from underwater giving Blue Grotto 40.561 °N, 14.206 °E it its beautiful blue color • largest cavern in the United States (One chamber, the New Mexico Carlsbad Caverns Big Room, could hold an aircraft carrier!) 32.177 °N, 104.441 °W • contains Indian wall paintings Austria Eisriesenwelt • world’s largest ice cave—42 km in length 47.503 °N, 13.189 °E • cave paintings discovered in 1940 France • famous Hall of Bulls Grotto de Lascaux 45.054 °N, 1.168 °E • original caves closed due to deterioration caused by visitors Abkhazia, Georgia Krubera Cave • deepest known cave in the world at 2197 m 43.409 °N, 40.361 °E California Lava Beds National Monument • world’s largest collection of volcanic caves 41.707 °N, 121.514 °W • many spectacular formations Virginia Luray Caverns • a stalacpipe organ that creates musical notes by 38.664 °N, 78.484 °W striking hollow stalactites Kentucky • most extensive known cave in the world, with Mammoth Cave 37.186 °N, 86.101 °W 652 km of passages and rooms China Miao Room of the Gebihe Cave • large cave chamber—852 m × 191 m × 66 m 25.677 °N, 106.265 °E Mexico Ox Bel Ha • most extensive known underwater cave—270 km 20.160 °N, 87.488 °W • desert caves near the Dead Sea where ancient scrolls Israel Qumran Caves were found, including parts of all Old Testament 31.741 °N, 35.459 °E books except Esther Borneo • world’s largest known cave chamber by area— Sarawak Chamber 4.024 °N, 114.824 °E 600 m × 435 m × 115 m New Zealand • Glowworms cling to the ceiling, giving the Waitomo Caves 38.261 °S, 175.103 °E appearance of stars in a night sky. • Winds flow in and out of the cave as the air pressure South Dakota changes. Wind Cave 43.555 °N, 103.477 °W • The cave walls are covered by unique boxwork speleothems that look like a stone honeycomb.