Bill Mixon posted:
The following list of deepest caves in the world appears in the Oct/Nov 2007
issue of Regards, the magazine of the Wallonian Speleological Society.
1. Voronja - Krubera (Georgia) 2,170 meters (I think I've seen 2190 elsewhere)
2. Snezhnaya - Mezhonnogo - Illjuzia (Georgia) 1750
3. Gouffre Mirolda / Lucien Bonelier (France) 1733
4. Lamprechtsofen Vogelschacht Weg Schacht (Austria) 1632
5. Reseau de Jean Bernard (France) 1602
6. Torca del Cerro del Cuevon / Torca de las Saxifragas (Spain) 1589
7. Sarma (Georgia) 1543
8. Cehi 2 (la Vendetta) / Ceki 2 (Slovenia) 1533
9. Shakhta Vjacheslava Pantijukhina (Georgia) 1508
10. Sima de la Cornisa (Spain) 1507
According to Bob Gulden's list <http://www.caverbob.com/wdeep.htm>,
Voronja is indeed 2190 m deep, with Alexander Klimchouk given as the source and
October 2007 as the date. Bob also lists Jamski sustav Velebita (Croatia) as no. 2
at 1926 m deep, with a date of December 2007. He gives Snezhnaya as 1753 m
(September 2007). In addition, Gouffre Mirolda is placed at no. 5 with a depth of
1626 m. There is controversy over the depth because the reported 1733 m is below the
water table, yet the bottom of the cave is not a sump. 1626 m is the theoretical
maximum dry cave depth. Finally, Cehi 2 is given as no. 11 at 1502 m, with a date of
September 2007.
As always, things change rapidly with the deepest caves, and there are
controversies and competing claims. It's still pretty amazing that the top ten
deepest caves are all over 1500 m deep!
Mark Minton
