la Vie Sirene volume 1 issue 4 - THE NATURE OF NYMPHS

Spelunking! ...or, The practice of caving (nicknamed ‘spelunking’ in the 1940’s as a derivation of the Latin spelunca) was pioneered in the late 1800’s by Édouard-Alfred Martel. By the 1930s, caving had gained significant popularity, especially in France. In 1941 Americans created the National Speleological Society and international interest in the activity has grown in concert with developments in techniques and equipment. The following is a list of famous underground caves, as compiled by Turopia: #10 - Eisriesenwelt Cave The Eisriesenwelt (German for “World of the Ice Giants”) is largest ice cave in the world, extending more than 42km (26 miles). The cave is inside the Hochkogel mountain in the Tennengebirge section of the Alps in Austria. Eisriesenwelt was formed by a river, which eroded passageways into the mountain.

The ice formations in the cave were formed by thawing snow which drained into the cave and froze during winter. #9 - Reed Flute Cave Reed Flute Cave known as “the Palace of Natural Arts” is located in the northwest of Guilin in southern China. According to a legend, Reed Flute Cave got its name because people believed that the reed by the cave’s mouth could be made into flutes. The limestone cave offers a majestic fairyland of stalactites, stalagmites, stone pillars, stone curtains, birds, plants and animals in fantastic shapes and colors. #8 - Cave of the Crystals The Cave of the Crystals was discovered in 2000 by miners excavating a new tunnel for the Naica Mine in northern Mexico. The main chamber contains some of the largest natural crystals ever found in any of the underground caves around the world. The cave’s largest crystal found to date is 11 meters (36 feet) in length, 4 meters (13 feet) in diameter and 55 tons in weight. The crystals became so large because of the extremely hot temperatures inside the cave, reaching a steamy 58 degrees Celsius (136 degrees Fahrenheit), that allowed microscopic crystals to form and grow. The result is an underground cave that Superman fans have been looking for.

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