Monday, January 18, 2016

Unexplored Caves For Monday Mystery...!

Very few things can be as spooky as an unexplored cave.

Think all the major cave systems have been found? WRONG! Many, many miles of unexplored caves still are waiting to be discovered.

Unexplored Caves

It’s common knowledge that most of the Earth’s oceans remain unexplored. That’s not because we’ve spent all our time getting to grips with the land, though. Beneath our feet are literally thousands upon thousands of caves that no human being has ever set foot in. These subterranean worlds aren’t even in the minority. One estimate by National Geographic put the number of undiscovered caves at 90 percent of the planet’s total.

That number is now slightly out of date, but it goes to show just how unknowable the ground beneath our feet is. It doesn’t help that the vast majority of caves are hidden, with no visible entrances at ground level. Even in a region of the world as mapped and meticulously explored as the US, it’s thought that only 50 percent of its caves have likely been found.

This means that all of those grand, crystal-filled caverns you occasionally see photos of online might be only the tip of the iceberg. There’s a whole undiscovered world down there, a lightless place cut off from the surface for centuries, perhaps millennia. Who knows? There might even be Morlocks.

I'm sure that nearly every part of the country has many caves that have never been explored.I think I'll pass!

Coffee out on the patio this morning.

8 comments:

texasann said...

Bubba - I'm sure some of those unexplored caves are in Texas. Remember the opening that showed up on cousin Gail's ranch near Jarrell? A couple of Southwestern University guys went in, but didn't get too far before they got stuck. She never did let them explore farther, I don't think. Who knows? It may have connected to Longhorn Cavern or at least Inner Space Caverns ...
I like caves, myself, but only after someone else has thoroughly explored them, chased out the critters, and installed electric lights and handrails.
Big hugs -

Chickenmom said...

Just seeing pictures of 'em are fine with me! Had some snow yesterday and it's cold again today. I'll bring a crumb cake for all!

HermitJim said...

Hey Sis...
That whole area around Georgetown is probably full off caves. Someday someone may explore all of them. Maybe not!
Thanks for coming over today!

HermitJim said...

Hey Phyllis...
Seems to be more than enough for most folks. Don't want to get too close and all in!
Thanks for stopping by today!

linda m said...

When I went into Mammoth Cave I definitely wondered where the Morlocks were. They flat out tell you about all the unexplored ares of the cave system. Hey, maybe , like in Journey to the Center of the Earth, there is a whole new world down there. Wow!!!

HermitJim said...

Hey Linda...
Who knows what could be down there? Who wants to go find out? Not me...that's for sure!
Thanks for stopping by today!

Dizzy-Dick said...

I have been in a few commercialized caves and also found one when I was kid up the river on the side of a hill up from my grandparents house. There was a very small opening but opened up into a big area. I didn't get too far into it, it was too dark (grin) and didn't have a flashlight. If I had asked for a flashlight in the day time, my parents would have figured out what we were doing and would have put an immediate stop to it.

JO said...

I love to watch all the documentation they put on NG, I have been in a couple caves but they just don't feel good to me. I think its the air and confined space.