A Cave In New Mexico Has Unearthed An Amazing Pristine Ancient Pool Never Before Seen By Humans Some 700 Feet From The Surface

Facebook

Every now and then, man discovers incredible things that truly amaze us. A network of “virgin” cave passages has been uncovered underneath Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico. And around 700 feet below the park, a pristine pool never before seen by human eyes was revealed. The Park posted on their official Facebook page, that the site was “completely pristine” and believed that the bacteria living in the water “evolved entirely without human presence.”


What makes the discovery more amazing, is that the pool is surrounded by white frosted rock, making its appearance seem “unearthly.” The pool itself is filled with a milky aquamarine liquid, similar to thick lime yogurt, according to the Miami Herald. The natural and cultural resources chief of Carlsbad Caverns, Rodney Horrocks, stated “This pool has been isolated for hundreds of thousands of years and has never seen light before that day,” pertaining to its discovery.

Disclose

The passage was actually discovered in 1993, lying below the entrance to Lechuguilla Cave, known to be one of the longest caves in the world. But, surprisingly, was not entered into until last October. Max Wisshak, a cave photographer and researcher at the Department of Marine Research based in Germany, mapped out 1.3 miles of passages together with his team in the course of the expedition, and experienced several “rope drops.” In his Facebook post, Wisshak said, “Exploration in caves sometimes yields wondrous sights. This cave pool, found in Lechuguilla Cave, appears to be completely pristine. The edges beneath this pool appear to be ‘pool fingers’, which could be bacterial colonies that have evolved entirely without human presence.”

While some may shudder at the discovery of the alien-like cave pool, Wisshak said that the water in the pool is actually crystal clear, with the creamy appearance actually an optical illusion.The pool is actually 2 feet long, a foot wide, and just several inches deep (so much for thinking of taking a dip), Horrocks said. Experts believe that the water must have come from ancient rainwater that seeped through the limestone above, and slid along the cave walls into the pool.

Facebook

Since its 1993 discovery, microbiologists have found new microbe species in Lechuguilla Cave’s pools, such as the “Lake of Liquid Sky,” and this latest discovery could yield more amazing results.It is not really known when the cave network was actually formed, though a number of bat skeletons have been discovered which are believed to be thousands of years old.

“Such untouched pools are scientifically important because water samples are relatively free of contaminants and the microbial organisms that may live in those pools are only those that belong there,” Wisshak explains. “ Contamination can occur from the surface above the cave, but in the case of Lechuguilla Cave, that’s not a big issue, since it is situated in a well-protected wilderness area. Contamination can also occur via aerosols in the air. However, a newly discovered pool in Lechuguilla Cave is about as pristine as it gets,” he continued.


It goes without saying that the team took extra care not to introduce any contaminants into the pools. Wisshak is currently applying for grants in order to continue studying his discoveries at Lechuguilla Cave, including the unique barite crystals, which is a rare find in caves. However, no signs of visible life (to the naked eye) were found in the passages, though the bat skeletons were discovered (you can just imagine the shock if they found an ancient pool attendant). So far, 118 known caves are part of the Carlsbad Caverns National Park, though more may likely be discovered soon. It’s an amazing life after all.

 

What are your thoughts? Please comment below and share this news!

True Activist / Report a typo

Popular on True Activist