For those who had the opportunity to see Dr. Klimchouck's presentation on Georgia when he was here in Texas last year, it was a fabulous presentation and you would understand why some of the deepest caves in the world are there. His team has specifically targeted the mountains in Georgia because of a number of compelling geologic conditions. They then systematically went about finding the deepest cave in the world.
Geary -----Original Message----- From: Minton, Mark [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Thursday, January 17, 2008 10:19 PM To: Cavers Texas Cc: [email protected] Subject: [Texascavers] RE: deep caves list 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
