No One Knows What Lurks at the Bottom of This Freakishly Deep Submerged Cave
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No One Knows What Lurks at the Bottom of This Freakishly Deep Submerged Cave:
New research suggests Hranice Abyss-the world's deepest freshwater cave-is around 0.6 miles (1 kilometer) deep, which is more than twice the depth of previous estimates.
Back in 2016, scientists measured the depth of Hranice Abyss at 1,552 feet (473 meters), but they suspected it was deeper because their remotely operated vehicle had reached the end of its fiber-optic communication cable. Now, using multiple geophysical imaging techniques, a research team led by Radek Klanica from the Czech Academy of Sciences has established a new estimated depth for Hranice Abyss. A paper describing this research was recently published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface.
[...] Geologist Francesco Sauro from the University of Bologna, who wasn't involved in the new study, told Science that the newly derived depth of the abyss is "impressive" and that the new paper is "a good example of how you should do things." Similar processes could've formed other submerged caves, some of which could even be deeper, he said. As for what types of organisms might exist at the bottom of the cave, Sauro said: "We don't know exactly what could be down there."
Journal Reference:
Radek Klanica, Jaroslav Kadlec, Petr Taboik, et al. Hypogenic Versus Epigenic Origin of Deep Underwater Caves Illustrated by the Hranice Abyss (Czech Republic), Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface (DOI: 10.1029/2020JF005663)
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