Tuesday, July 19, 2011

World’s Most Spectacular Underground Rivers

Subterranean rivers are rivers that run wholly or partly beneath the ground surface. They are sometimes commonly called underground rivers.

Here are some of the most impressive and most visited subterranean rivers in the world.

Phong Nha - Ke Bang - Vietnam


Phong Nha - Ke Bang is a national park and a UNESCO World heritage Site where a subterranean river is situated. This park is located in the province of Quiang Binh, Vietnam. The park has the longest underground river and the largest caverns and passageways.

Krizna River – Slovenia


Krizna Rver is located in the Krizna Cave in the Loz Valley in Slovenia. The cave is particularly noted for its chain of twenty-two subterranean lakes and emerald green water. Boats can be use in this impressive underground river.

Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park Philippines


The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park is a popular and spectacular underground river located in Palawan, Philippines.  It is also known as St. Paul Underground River and is one of the 28 finalists for the "New Seven Wonders of Nature" competition. This wonder of nature is the world’s longest river navigable subterranean river.

Sistema Sac Actun – Mexico


Sistema Sac Actun is a unique underground river in Mexico. It means "White Cave System" in English. This underwater cave system is situated along the Caribbean coast of the Yucatan Peninsula. It is presently regarded as the longest underground river in the world. It is the second longest surveyed cave system in Mexico and the 6th longest in the world. As of January 2011, this cave system currently measures 215.4 kilometers.  

Santa Fe River – United States


The Santa Fe River is a 121 km river in Florida, USA. The watershed of the river is about 3,574 km2. The Santa Fe River is unique in that it completely disappears underground and then reappears 4.8 km downstream. The river drops into a large sinkhole in O’Leno State Park and reappears in the adjacent River Rise Preserve State Park.

Lost River – USA
The Lost River is an unusual river located in the Appalachian Mountains of Hardy County, Eastern Panhandle region of West Virginia. The Lost River is geologically the same river as the Cacapon River but flows into an underground channel northeast of Baker along West Virginia Route 259 at "the Sinks" and reappears near Wardensville as the Cacapon.

Mojave River – California, USA
The Mojave River is located in the eastern San Bernardino Mountains and Mojave Desert in San Bernardino County, California. Mojave River is notable as most of its flow is underground, while its surface channels remain dry most of the time but extreme flooding is possible. For example, during a heavy El Niño in the Mojave Desert, rains caused the Mojave River to overflow onto overpassing bridges on February 22, 1993.

Sof Omar Cave – Ethiopia


Sof Omar Cave is a 15.1 km long cave located in Ethiopia. It is the country’s longest cave and is located in the province of Bale through which the Weyib River flows. It sinks at the Ayiew Maco entrance and reappears at the Holuca resurgence 1 kilometer away. This cave has long been a religious center and is sacred both to Islam and local traditional religions. The caves are known for their many pillars, particularly in the "Chamber of Columns".

See also

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