Astonishing Ancient Pool Never Seen by Humans Discovered 700 Feet Deep in New Mexico Cave
An astonishing cave network has been found 700 feet underneath a national park.
Incredible photos show a beautiful blue pool – never before seen by humans – which was discovered in the depths of Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico.
The otherworldly pool is comprised of milky aquamarine liquid, surrounded by white frosted stone, according to the Kansas City Star.
It is thought that the place has been evolving for thousands of years and has never been touched by people.
“This pool has been isolated for hundreds of thousands of years and had never seen light before that day,” said Rodney Horrocks, head of natural and cultural resources at Carlsbad Caverns National Park.
The strange-looking finding was made 700 feet underneath the entry point of Lechguilla Cave, which is one of the 10 longest caves on Earth.
🔥 Carlsbad Caverns National Park! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/jfSrwthCGU
— Nature is Lit (@Nature_Is_Lit) April 6, 2020
(A tourist visiting Carlsbad Caverns National Park)
Even though the discovery was initially made in 1993, explorers entered its untouched passages for the first time last October.
When sharing news about the finding on social media, geoscientist Max 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.”
Exploration in caves sometimes yields wondrous sights. This cave pool, found in Lechuguilla Cave, appears to be…
Posted by Carlsbad Caverns National Park on Sunday, May 31, 2020
The expedition, headed by Wisshak, involved mapping out 1.3 miles of passages and a number of “rope drops”.
It is unclear when the network of caves was formed.
Even though no signs of life could be found, explorers did stumble upon a number of bat skeletons, thought to be thousands of years old.
The pool is around one foot in width, two feet in length and several inches in depth.
I arrived at Carlsbad Caverns, an underground cathedral full of rock formations like floating jellyfish.
The bats were in Mexico, and the tourists were waiting for spring break, so I got to wander through the cave relatively undisturbed. It was so peaceful. Eerie. Meditative. pic.twitter.com/rXPlWo3ElR
— Emily Pennington (@BrazenBackpack) February 16, 2020
Even though it seems to be murky in photos, the pool is, in reality, crystal clear and most likely consists of ancient rainwater which found its way to through the cave’s limestone over time.
“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 added.
“Contamination can occur from the surface above the cave, but in case of Lechuguilla Cave, that’s not a big issue, since it is situated in a well-protected wilderness area. It can also occur via aerosols in the air.
“However, a newly discovered pool in Lechuguilla Cave is about as pristine as it gets.”
The cave is home to a number of similar pools, the biggest of which has now been given the name “Lake of Liquid Sky”.
For KRQE’s report on the story please see the video below.
What are your thoughts on this wonderful discovery? Let us know by joining the conversation in the comments and please share this article if you’ve enjoyed it.
