About
Caves are natural underground spaces large enough for a human to enter. They form through various processes — most commonly through dissolution of limestone by acidic water (karst caves). The world's longest cave system is Mammoth Cave in Kentucky (676+ km mapped). The Lechuguilla Cave in New Mexico contains crystals the size of trees. The Son Doong Cave in Vietnam is so large it has its own weather system and jungle inside it.
Caves house extraordinary adapted life — troglobites — species that have evolved over millions of years in complete darkness, losing eyes and pigmentation. Olm salamanders can survive 10 years without food and live for 100 years. Cave art — including the Lascaux paintings (17,000 years old) and the Chauvet Cave paintings (36,000 years old) — represents humanity's earliest art.
# Top 10 Caves facts
- 1Son Doong Cave in Vietnam is so large it has its own weather system, clouds, and jungle inside it
- 2The Chauvet Cave in France contains paintings 36,000 years old — twice as old as Lascaux's
- 3Olm salamanders in European caves have lost all pigment and sight — and can live for 100 years without food
Fascinating Facts
- ◆Son Doong Cave in Vietnam is so large it has its own weather system, clouds, and jungle inside it
- ◆The Chauvet Cave in France contains paintings 36,000 years old — twice as old as Lascaux's
- ◆Olm salamanders in European caves have lost all pigment and sight — and can live for 100 years without food
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