Optymistychna Cave
Encyclopedia
Optymistychna is a gypsum
cave
located near the Ukrainian village of Korolivka
, Borschiv Raion, Ternopil Oblast
. , it has 230 km of mapped passageways and is the largest cave complex in Eurasia
. By some other sources it is referred as having about 133 miles (214 kilometers) of surveyed passageways, that makes it the third-longest cave in the world, after Mammoth Cave
and Jewel Cave
and the longest gypsum cave in the world.
The entire cave lies under a 2 kilometer square area in a layer of Upper Tertiary gypsum that is less than 20 meters thick. The passages tend to be low and often choked with mud. They comprise a dense network on several levels, making Optymistychna what is known as a "maze cave."
The cave complex was discovered by the speleologists of the Lviv speleological club "Cyclope" in 1966 who already over 40 years study the complex. There have been more than 50 expeditions since then, but exploration has slowed significantly in recent years, and very little surveying is currently being done. The cave is located very close to Ozernaya, the eleventh-longest cave in the world at 75 miles (122 kilometers), but the two caves have not yet been found to be connected.
In 2008 the cave won the special nomination as the Natural Wonder of Ukraine
.
Gypsum
Gypsum is a very soft sulfate mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate, with the chemical formula CaSO4·2H2O. It is found in alabaster, a decorative stone used in Ancient Egypt. It is the second softest mineral on the Mohs Hardness Scale...
cave
Cave
A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...
located near the Ukrainian village of Korolivka
Korolivka
Korolivka is a village in Brodivskyi Raion, Lviv Oblast, in western Ukraine.From 1918 to 1939 the village was in Tarnopol Voivodeship in Poland....
, Borschiv Raion, Ternopil Oblast
Ternopil Oblast
Ternopil Oblast is an oblast' of Ukraine. Its administrative center is Ternopil, through which flows the Seret River, a tributary of the Dnister.-Geography:...
. , it has 230 km of mapped passageways and is the largest cave complex in Eurasia
Eurasia
Eurasia is a continent or supercontinent comprising the traditional continents of Europe and Asia ; covering about 52,990,000 km2 or about 10.6% of the Earth's surface located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres...
. By some other sources it is referred as having about 133 miles (214 kilometers) of surveyed passageways, that makes it the third-longest cave in the world, after Mammoth Cave
Mammoth Cave National Park
Mammoth Cave National Park is a U.S. National Park in central Kentucky, encompassing portions of Mammoth Cave, the longest cave system known in the world. The official name of the system is the Mammoth-Flint Ridge Cave System for the ridge under which the cave has formed. The park was established...
and Jewel Cave
Jewel Cave National Monument
Jewel Cave National Monument contains Jewel Cave, currently the second longest cave in the world, with just over of mapped passageways. It is located approximately west of the town of Custer in South Dakota's Black Hills...
and the longest gypsum cave in the world.
The entire cave lies under a 2 kilometer square area in a layer of Upper Tertiary gypsum that is less than 20 meters thick. The passages tend to be low and often choked with mud. They comprise a dense network on several levels, making Optymistychna what is known as a "maze cave."
The cave complex was discovered by the speleologists of the Lviv speleological club "Cyclope" in 1966 who already over 40 years study the complex. There have been more than 50 expeditions since then, but exploration has slowed significantly in recent years, and very little surveying is currently being done. The cave is located very close to Ozernaya, the eleventh-longest cave in the world at 75 miles (122 kilometers), but the two caves have not yet been found to be connected.
In 2008 the cave won the special nomination as the Natural Wonder of Ukraine
Seven Natural Wonders of Ukraine
The Seven Natural Wonders of Ukraine is the second stage of the Seven Wonders of Ukraine program. They are the seven natural attractions of Ukraine, which were chosen in the Seven Natural Wonders of Ukraine on August 26, 2008...
.
Sources
- Description of a 1990 trip to Optymistychna by British cavers
- Table of cave lengths
- The Fund of Support Scientific and Creative Initiatives
External links
- Overview
- Chapter II.9, Gypsum Karst in the Western Ukraine by Alexander Klimchouk article appearing in: International Journal of Speleology, vol. 25, #3-4, 1996, p. 263-278.