Journey To The Center Of The Earth - Cavers smash world depth record.

[Dover]

Cavers smash world depth record


Krubera is the deepest known cave in the world. Cavers have ventured deeper into the Earth than anyone has been before.

A Ukrainian team has reached a record depth of 2,080m (6,822ft), passing the elusive 2,000m mark at Krubera, the world's deepest known cave.

The nine-strong group were part of a project that has made breaking the 2,000m depth its goal for four years.

They built on records set by a previous expedition, which blasted through blocked passages in the cave, within Georgia's breakaway region of Abkhazia.

"Even now, we don't know whether we've reached the limit - or if it will go on. We're pretty sure we'll eventually go even lower," said Alexander Klimchouk, the veteran caver who organised the mission.

The Ukrainian Speleological Association's Call of the Abyss project is funded by the US National Geographic Society.

During an expedition from August to September 2004, a team of 56 cavers (45 men and 11 women) representing seven countries explored Kubera, deep below the Arabika mountain massif of the western Caucasus....cont'd

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4472585.stm

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DEEPEST KNOWN CAVES
Krubera, Georgia (Abkhazia) 2,080m (6,822ft)
Lamprechtsofen, Austria 1,631m (5,354 ft)
Gouffre Mirolda, France 1,626m (5,335 ft)
Reseau Jean Bernard, France 1,602m (5,256 ft)
Torca del Cerro, Spain 1,589m (5,213 ft)
Sarma, Georgia (Abkhazia) 1,542m (5,062 ft)
Cehi 2, Slovenia, 1,533m (5,030 ft)

[RaleighNCDUer]

1. Is this record for natural caves only?

I could easily be wrong, but I thought there were mines that go nearly 2 miles down.

[htuttle]

2. The world's deepest mine seems to be much deeper

http://hypertextbook.com/facts/2003/YefimCavalier.shtml

The East Rand mine in South Africa is 3585 meters (11761 feet) deep.

[seriousstan]

3. From the article....

More pits and passages brought the explorers to a sandy chamber at 2,080m, the deepest to date any caver has ventured below ground (gold miners in South Africa regularly go beyond 3,400m).

[freethought]

4. Congrats to the Cavers, however

there is something about caving that has always disturbed me. I read a short story about a guy who got himself stuck in a cave. I think in the southern U.S. somewhere. Anyway, there was an effort to get him out but he wound up dead anyway. This happened a long time ago. There is something profoundly usettling about losing your life in a dark cave. I can't put my finger on it though.

[oneighty]

5. More than one

cave diver died in the water filled caves in Florida.

180

[htuttle]

6. Probably thinking of Floyd Collins

He is probably the most famous case of a person stuck in a cave in the last century. A number of stories (and songs, and a movie or two) were written about him.

[aeolian]

7. Whoa...that's deep, man, deep.

Sorry, someone had to say it. :)

[phantom power]

8. That's very cool. But...

if the earth were an apple, this wouldn't even be thru the skin. Not exactly the "center" :-)

[aeolian]

9. I, for one, don't want to go to the center.

Even though I am a heavy metal fan, it's just too hot down there for my celtic genes.

EDIT: that, and I just couldn't take the pressure. :)