From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mammoth Cave , the world's longest known cave system
This list of longest caves includes
caves in which the combined length of documented passageways exceeds 100 kilometres (62 mi). In some of these caves, passageways are still being discovered.
Geographical distribution
Caves are found around the world. The largest form in areas of
karst landforms whose rocks dissolve easily. Preferable conditions for karst cave formation are adequate precipitation, enough plants and animals to produce ample carbon dioxide, and a landscape of gentle hills which drains slowly.[
citation needed ] The highest concentrations of long caves in the world are found in the
Pennyroyal Plateau of southern
Kentucky , United States, in the
Black Hills of
South Dakota , United States, and in the
Yucatán Peninsula , Mexico.
List
#
System
Length
Location
coordinates
Discovery
Associated parks, protected areas
1
Mammoth Cave
685.6 km (426.0 mi)
[3]
[4]
near
Brownsville, Kentucky ,
United States
37°11′15″N 86°06′13″W / 37.18758°N 86.10357°W / 37.18758; -86.10357 (Mammoth cave historic entrance )
1791
Mammoth Cave National Park , also a
World Heritage Site , International
Biosphere Reserve , and International Dark Sky Park
2
Sistema Ox Bel Ha
435.8 km (270.8 mi)
[5]
[6]
near
Tulum, Quintana Roo ,
Mexico
20°09′37″N 87°29′15″W / 20.16028°N 87.48750°W / 20.16028; -87.48750 (Sistema Ox Bel Ha )
1996
southern parts in
Sian Ka'an
Biosphere Reserve
3
Shuanghedong Cave Network
417.6 km (259.5 mi)
[7]
[8]
Guizhou ,
China
28°14′31″N 107°16′34″E / 28.24199°N 107.27608°E / 28.24199; 107.27608 (Shuanghe Dongqun )
1988
Suiyang Shuanghedong National Geopark
4
Sistema Sac Actun /
Sistema Dos Ojos
386.1 km (239.9 mi)
near
Tulum, Quintana Roo ,
Mexico
20°14′48″N 87°27′51″W / 20.246556°N 87.464111°W / 20.246556; -87.464111 (Gran Cenote )
1987
{{{1}}}
5
Jewel Cave
353.85 km (219.9 mi)
[9]
[10]
near
Custer, South Dakota ,
United States
43°43′46″N 103°49′46″W / 43.72944°N 103.82944°W / 43.72944; -103.82944 (Jewel Cave )
1900
Jewel Cave National Monument
6
Wind Cave
266.8 km (165.8 mi)
[11]
near
Hot Springs, South Dakota ,
United States
43°33′29″N 103°28′46″W / 43.55804°N 103.47955°W / 43.55804; -103.47955 (Wind Cave )
1881
Wind Cave National Park
7
Optymistychna Cave
264.5 km (164.4 mi)
[12]
near
Korolivka ,
Ukraine
48°44′20″N 25°59′22″E / 48.738830378°N 25.989496042°E / 48.738830378; 25.989496042 (Grotte Optimiste )
1966
Dnistrovskyy Canion
8
Clearwater Cave System
255.9 km (159.0 mi)
[13]
[14]
near
Miri ,
Sarawak ,
Malaysia
4°03′55″N 114°49′54″E / 4.06529°N 114.83176°E / 4.06529; 114.83176 (Clearwater Cave )
1978
Gunung Mulu National Park , also a
World Heritage Site
9
Lechuguilla Cave
244.7 km (152.0 mi)
[15]
[16]
near
Carlsbad, New Mexico ,
United States
32°11′26″N 104°30′12″W / 32.1906420°N 104.5033091°W / 32.1906420; -104.5033091 (Grotte de Lechuguilla )
1900
Carlsbad Caverns National Park
10
Fisher Ridge Cave System
212.1 km (131.8 mi)
near
Brownsville, Kentucky ,
United States
37°11′30″N 85°58′48″W / 37.191736°N 85.980122°W / 37.191736; -85.980122
1981
partly within
Mammoth Cave National Park
11
Hölloch
210.7 km (130.9 mi)
[17]
[18]
Muotathal ,
Switzerland
46°58′36″N 8°47′18″E / 46.976670°N 8.788330°E / 46.976670; 8.788330
1875
{{{1}}}
12
Sistema del Alto Tejuelo
206.7 km (128.4 mi)
[19]
Cantabria ,
Spain
43°15′11″N 3°40′51″W / 43.2530670°N 3.6807990°W / 43.2530670; -3.6807990
1965
{{{1}}}
13
Siebenhengste-Hohgant-Höhle
164.5 km (102.2 mi)
[20]
[21]
Switzerland
46°47′02″N 7°54′04″E / 46.783822°N 7.901231°E / 46.783822; 7.901231
1966
{{{1}}}
14
Schönberg-Höhlensystem [
de ]
155.6 km (96.69 mi)
[22]
[23]
Austria
47°42′06″N 13°46′20″E / 47.701528°N 13.772333°E / 47.701528; 13.772333
1976
{{{1}}}
15
Mortillano system
146.5 km (91.03 mi)
[24]
Cantabria ,
Spain
43°13′51″N 3°33′43″W / 43.23082°N 3.56197°W / 43.23082; -3.56197
1960
{{{1}}}
16
Priest's Grotto
142.1 km (88.30 mi)
[25]
Ukraine
48°45′52″N 25°57′57″E / 48.7644444°N 25.9658330555°E / 48.7644444; 25.9658330555
1940
{{{1}}}
17
Steinbrücken Cave
137.7 km (85.56 mi)
[22]
Austria
47°39′43″N 13°48′11″E / 47.661940°N 13.803060°E / 47.661940; 13.803060
1929
{{{1}}}
18
Marosakabe cave system
124 km (77.05 mi)
[26]
[27]
Madagascar
16°27′07″S 45°20′08″E / 16.45189°S 45.33543°E / -16.45189; 45.33543 (Zohy Tsongom'omby )
2006
Tsingy de Namoroka Strict Nature Reserve
19
Bullita Cave
123 km (76.43 mi)
[28]
[29]
Australia
16°03′48″S 130°23′00″E / 16.063330°S 130.383330°E / -16.063330; 130.383330
1990
Gregory National Park
20
Sistema del Gandara
119.0 km (73.94 mi)
[30]
[31]
Cantabria ,
Spain
43°11′34″N 3°34′46″W / 43.1927260°N 3.5794850°W / 43.1927260; -3.5794850
2005
{{{1}}}
21
Réseau Félix Trombe [
fr ]
117.2 km (72.82 mi)
[32]
France
42°58′21″N 0°51′59″E / 42.972500°N 0.866390°E / 42.972500; 0.866390
1908
{{{1}}}
22
Hirlatzhöhle
115.8 km (71.95 mi)
[33]
Austria
47°32′42″N 13°37′51″E / 47.544975°N 13.630953°E / 47.544975; 13.630953
1949
{{{1}}}
23
Toca da Boa Vista
114 km (70.84 mi)
[34]
Brazil
10°09′45″S 40°51′35″W / 10.162500°S 40.859722°W / -10.162500; -40.859722 (Toca da Boa Vista )
1987
{{{1}}}
24
Ojo Guareña
110 km (68.35 mi)
[35]
Spain
43°02′02″N 3°37′50″W / 43.03376°N 3.63059°W / 43.03376; -3.63059
1956
{{{1}}}
25
Sistema K'oox Baal
103.7 km (64.44 mi)
[36]
near
Tulum, Quintana Roo ,
Mexico
20°22′21″N 87°25′02″W / 20.372622°N 87.417239°W / 20.372622; -87.417239 (K'oox Baal )
1987
{{{1}}}
26
Sistema Huautla
100.1 km (62.20 mi)
[37]
Mexico
18°07′16.37″N 96°48′00.03″W / 18.1212139°N 96.8000083°W / 18.1212139; -96.8000083 (Sótano de San Agustin, Sistema Huautla )
1965
{{{1}}}
See also
External links
References
^
"Exploration in the World's Longest Cave" (PDF) . Retrieved 2017-12-03 . .
^ Emily Deletter (September 13, 2022).
"Mammoth Cave discovers 6 more miles, still the longest cave system in the world" . Cincinnati.com. Retrieved October 9, 2022 .
^
"CINDAQ 2022 Annual report" . El Centro Investigador del Sistema Acuífero de Quintana Roo A.C.(CINDAQ). January 26, 2023. Retrieved February 3, 2023 .
^ Bill Mixon.
Mexico news (PDF) . Vol. 34. p. 22. Retrieved 2014-06-01 . .
^
"Grottes et karsts de Chine-Shuanghedongqun - 双河洞" . Retrieved 2023-12-06 . .
^ Jean Pierre Barbary; Jean Bottazzi (23 April 2023).
"Grottes et karsts de Chine - Sur les traces de Xu Xiake - Shuanghedong 双河洞 400 km !" . Retrieved 2023-04-29 .
^
"Jewel Cave Cave Exploration" .
National Park Service (NPS). January 10, 2024. Retrieved January 11, 2024 .
^
"Jewel Cave Reaches 200 Miles" .
National Park Service (NPS). December 19, 2018. Retrieved December 19, 2018 .
^
"150 miles and counting: Wind Cave celebrates significant milestone" .
National Park Service (NPS). October 18, 2019. Retrieved October 18, 2019 .
^
"optymistychna is the longest cave in ukraine" . ukrainegoodnews.com . 2014-06-04.
^ Eavis, Rob (April–May 2016). "What a Rollercoaster".
Descent (249): 24–29.
^
"The Clearwater Cave System" . mulucaves.org . Retrieved 2023-02-05 .
^
"Lechuguilla Cave Info" . 2022. Retrieved 2023-10-13 .
^
"Lechuguilla Cave" .
National Park Service (NPS). July 17, 2019. Retrieved July 17, 2019 .
^ Arbeitsgemeinschaft Höllochforschung AGH.
"Offizielle Vermessungs-Werte AGH" . hoellochforschung.ch (in German). Retrieved 2023-02-05 .
^
"Arbeitsgemeinschaft Hoellochforschung AGH" (in German).
Archived from the original on 2019-01-19. Retrieved 2017-05-17 .
^ David García.
"Alto del Tejuelo" (in Spanish). Retrieved 2023-09-17 .
^ Anonyme.
"Grandes cavités suisses" (in French). Retrieved 2020-02-20 . .
^ Philipp Häuselmann (2016).
Le karst Siebenhengste-Hohgant-Schrattenfluh : essai d'une synthèse (PDF) (in German and French). Vol. 66. pp. 28–41. Retrieved 2020-04-06 .
^
a
b Verein für Höhlenkunde (2023-01-25).
"Die längsten Höhlen des Dachsteins und des Toten Gebirges" (PDF) (in German). Retrieved 2023-02-05 .
^ Harald Zeltlhofer (2022-09-12).
"Schönberg Höhlensystem" (in German). Retrieved 2023-02-05 .
^
"Mortillano !!!! 146,5 Km.!!!!" (in Spanish). Retrieved 2016-09-13 . .
^
"Найдовші печери України (від 1000 м.)" (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2022-03-27 . .
^
"Expédition Malagasy 2018" (in French). Retrieved 2018-08-31 .
^ Jean-Nicolas Delaty; Eric Sibert (June 2023). "Malagasy 2022-Tsingy de Namoroka". Spelunca . 170 . Fédération française de spéléologie: 3.
ISSN
0249-0544 . .
^ Grimes, K. G.; Martini, J. E. (2016).
"Bullita cave system, Judbarra / Gregory Karst, tropical Australia" (PDF) . Boletín Geológico y Minero : 21–44. Retrieved 2023-10-13 . .
^ Ellery, David (26 January 2013).
"John's journeys are all about his passion" .
The Canberra Times .
Fairfax Media . Retrieved 5 December 2018 .
^
"Classement des plus grandes cavités" (in French). Retrieved 2024-01-17 . .
^
"Le réseau de la Gandara" (in French). Retrieved 2024-01-17 . .
^
"Le réseau Félix Trombe Henne Morte" (in French). Retrieved 2024-02-14 .
^ Theo Pfarr; Robert Seebacher; Lukas Plan (2022-01-19).
"Die tiefsten Höhlen Österreichs" (PDF) (in German). Retrieved 2023-02-05 .
^ Sociedade Brasileira de Espeleologia.
"As maiores cavernas do Brasil" (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2018-12-08 . .
^ Ana I. Ortega and M. Martín.
"Complejo Kárstico de Ojo Guareña. Endokarst" (in Spanish). Retrieved 2015-08-26 .
^ Zdeněk Motyčka.
K'oox baall, the fourth-longest underwater cave system in the world (PDF) . Vol. 37. pp. 149–155. Retrieved 2014-05-01 . .
^
"The PESCH Mission" . Retrieved 2023-04-06 .
Main topics Types and formation processes
Speleothems and
Speleogens (Cave formations) Dwellings Popular culture Incidents