61. Carlsbad Caverns National Park: Natural Resources: Geology Last updated Friday, 26Mar-04 093614 http//www.nps.gov/cave/geology.htmPark information cave_park_information@nps.gov. http://www.nps.gov/cave/geology.htm

Plan Your Visit Cave Tours Bat Flight School Groups ... Permian World From a Permian reef to Guadalupe Mountains. sulfuric acid It is since the 1970s that geologists have come to understand that sulfuric acid played the major role in the dissolution of all Guadalupe Mountain caves. Evidence shows that when hydrogen sulfide (H2S) from oil deposits in the area and a whole range of newly discovered microbes combine with oxygen in the underground water table, sulfuric acid is the result. This very aggressive dissolution of passageways occurred at the level of the water table along cracks, fractures and faults in the limestone. The geologic history of the Capitan Reef means there is still an exceptional potential for additional cave discovery, significant exploration and research. The Decorated Caves. Sometime in the past few million years, collapse at the top of the cave and surface erosion created the natural entrance of Carlsbad Cavern. This opened previously hidden underground cave passageways to the world above for the first time. As a result, airflow began to circulate through the cavern and allow for the final chapter of geologic development-growth of cave decorations. The magnificent speleothems (cave formations) that continue to grow and decorate Carlsbad Cavern are due to rain and snowmelt soaking through limestone rock, then eventually dripping into and evaporating in a cave below. Those water drops have absorbed gasses and dissolved minerals from the soil and limestone above. Wherever that water drop evaporates and releases carbon dioxide in an air-filled cave, a small amount of mineral-mostly calcite, is left behind. Thus, drip-by-drip, over the past million years or so, Carlsbad Cavern has slowly been decorating itself.

62. Nearctica - Geology - Caves And Karst Topography The photographs are beautiful and the information on the geological wondersof caves in extensive. Highly recommended. geology of Mammoth cave. http://www.nearctica.com/geology/gcave.htm

Caves and Karst Topography Special Segments Butterflies of North America Conifers of North America Eastern Birds List of N.A. Insects Home Eastern Wildflowers General Topics Natural History Ecology Family Environment Evolution Home Education Home Conservation Geophysics Paleontology Commercial Organizations Return to Geology Main Page Karst is a distinctive landscape topography largely formed by the dissolving of carbonate bedrocks such as limestone, dolomite, or marble by water. This geological process results in unusual surface and subsurface features ranging from sinkholes, vertical shafts, disappearing streams, and springs, to complex underground drainage systems and caves. The most famous of these features are caves. A speleothem is a technical term for any of the formations found in caves such as stalagmites, stalactites, columns, cave pearls, and so forth. Although caves are commonly associated with limestone and karst, not all caves are formed this way. Some famous caves are lava tubes. A lava tube is an underground conduit for magma that later drains and becomes an underground tunnel. Caves can be formed by other geological processes which you can find in some of the links listed below. For the record: Stalactite - Hangs down.

63. Underground Wonders National Speleological Society site for additional links to science topics relatedto caves, including cave biology and ecology, cave archaeology and geology. http://www.riverdeep.net/current/2001/12/121001_caves.jhtml

Home Login Store About Us ... Free Activities Site Search This Week's Current The Classroom Flyer Today's Flyer Flyer by E-mail About Brenda Barron Article Archives Life Science Biology Environment Space ... Sports December 10, 2001 Rock and Water More than 335 miles of accessible passages make Mammoth Cave in Kentucky the world's longest cave. Lechuguilla Cave, part of Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico, is the nation's deepest at 1,567 feet. Together, these two caves attract more than 2,000,000 visitors annually. What natural processes make caves so fascinating? The most common caves are solution caves. They form when soluble carbonate rock, such as limestone, dolomite, marble, or gypsum, is dissolved by groundwater. Limestone makes up the majority of caves in the United States. In addition to soluble carbonate rock, two additional factors must be present for caves to form. First, rainwater seeps through cracks in the bedrock, absorbing carbon dioxide (CO

64. Beautiful Rushmore Cave - Black Hills Geology And Caves Generally speaking, caves are a young and shortlived geological phenomenon.The very solutional and erosional processes that create http://www.beautifulrushmorecave.com/bhgc.html

The Black Hills region is home to some of the most unique caves in the world. They are among the world's most interesting because of their age, evolutionary history, rare formations and complexity. All are precious natural gifts that we may enjoy today and must protect for future generations. Sharing the common bonds of their origin, each is unique in its own way. Located in a band of limestone rock called the "pahasapa limestone" (Large graphic in this link file size is 133k) , the caves encircle the central granite core of the Black Hills. This limestone was created during the Mississippian Period, approximately 360 to 330 million years ago on the bottom of an ancient sea. The present day caves were greatly affected by five events in the area's geologic past. First, the limestone rock was modified by a variety of chemical processes. Second, an early cave and karst system developed in the young limestone rock. Third, the limestone and early caves were buried by other layers of sedimentary rock. They laid dormant and preserved from approximately 320 million years ago until 60 million years ago.

65. SUSS Bull 38(4) - Spider Cave - Geology control respectively. Several geologic controls on the developmentof Spider cave are apparent. In order of importance these are http://www.ee.usyd.edu.au/suss/Bulls/38(4)/geology.html

Geology Ian Cooper Spider Cave is contained within the Late Silurian (415-410 million years old) Jenolan Caves Limestone. This limestone is a composite unit with a thickness of 235m at Caves House (Allan 1986). Stratigraphy in vicinity of Spider Cave is as follows: Age Unit Name Rocktype(s) Thickness (m) Siluro-Devonian Jenolan Beds Cleaved, purple shale and mudstone, rhyolitic ignimbrite and felsic volcaniclastic sediments. Late Silurian Jenolan Caves Limestone Bedded shaly limestone Massive rudaceous limestone with coral, stromataporoid, crinoid and shell fragments Massive grey muddy limestone Finely bedded muddy limestone with increasing shale interbeds towards base Unconformity or Disconformity Ordovician Rockley Volcanics Black siliceous mudstone with radiolaria; mafic volcanilithic sandstone and local andesite (Caves House Andesite) The limestone is interpreted to represent a shallow marine shelf with coarser reworked detritus, derived from small reefs. Spider Cave is developed in the three lowermost units of the Jenolan Caves Limestone. ) is also folded by these folds.

66. ReferenceResources:Geology geology Museum Displays minerals, rocks, fossils, a 6foot globe,and a walk-through model of a Wisconsin limestone cave. Savage http://www.kidinfo.com/Science/Geology.html

Reference Resources: Geology Geology Sites All About Geology Links to sites about geology Geologist's Field List Photographs; important facts; a list of essential or desirable locations for geologists or travelers to visit. It contains many of the interesting geological wonders of the world, with links for most of them Geologic Hazards Team (Earthquakes / Geomagnetic / Landslides) US Geological Survey (USGS) conducts research into the causes of geological phenomena such as landslides and earthquakes; interactive maps Geology Labs On-Line Web-based lab activities that enhance the learning and teaching of Geology and other Earth Science by offering virtual learning activities GeologyLink Breaking news on geologic events all over the world, the latest news and discoveries, hot topics, virtual field trips, interactive forums, an image gallery and more; this site has something for everyone, from preschoolers to professional geologists. Geology Museum Displays minerals, rocks, fossils, a 6-foot globe, and a walk-through model of a Wisconsin limestone cave.

67. Understanding Caves & Karst Topography Adding to the geologic value of the cave are a number of biologicaldiscoveries. To enter one of the caverns one must crawl down http://www.mountainnature.com/Geology/Caves.htm

Home Landscape Plants Wildlife ... Search Site Directory MountainNature Home Ward Cameron Ent. Contact Us Nature Forecast ... Books With the predominance of limestone in the Rockies, various caverns and caves have been eroded. Castleguard Cave is the most famous of these. It has been mapped for more than 17 km (11 miles) under the Columbia Icefields, making it the largest cave system in Canada. Nearer to Canmore, the Rat's Nest Cave on Grotto Mountain provides an excellent example of the many formations found in local caves. Formed by the slow dissolving of the limestone, these caverns form what may have been an important drainage channel at various points in history. In fact, the Castleguard Cave still floods every spring making it a dangerous cave to explore, prompting the Canadian Parks Service to close it off to all but specially approved expeditions. The Rat's Nest cave has also been recently protected by the provincial government and access is now restricted. This is not as much for the danger of exploring but more to protect the unique features present in this cave. Formed many thousands of years ago, it has had sufficient time to produce spectacular stalactites and stalagmites in addition to many other formations. Stalactites are the icicle like formations hanging from the roof of caves and form by the constant dripping of water laden with dissolved minerals. The minerals deposit on the stalactite, and it slowly grows towards the floor of the cave. Often directly below it, a stalagmite will be growing upward in the same fashion.

68. Geology Of The Rocky Mountains Discussions of Rocky Mountain geology are often broken into the following three major hometo an extensive series of caves including the deepest cave in North http://www.mountainnature.com/Geology/

Home Landscape Plants Wildlife ... Search Site Directory MountainNature Home Ward Cameron Ent. Contact Us Nature Forecast ... Books New! Web TV Rocky Mountain Geology In the mountains, the rocks are the foundation upon which everything else is built. The plants take advantage of these landforms, and the animals adapt to habitats made up of a combination of habitat and vegetation. Mountain Geology Discussions of Rocky Mountain Geology are often broken into the following three major stages. Sedimentation / Deposition Learning to understand the mountains begins with understanding the rocks that make up the Rocky Mountains. Uplift / Mountain Building Shifting continental plates have created periods of mountain building, changing a level plain into a spectacular mountain landscape. The sculpting of the mountains From the moment the Rockies emerged from the ancient oceans, the agents of water and ice have been wearing them down and sculpting their rugged face. Learn your Landforms The mountain landscape tells a tale of changing climates, rising and falling oceans and the history of life on this planet. Landform Index Select a landform from this alphabetical listing.

69. GEOLOGY FACTS geology FACTS. Age of cave Has been dated from approximately 2 to 10 millionyears. ALABASTER Hard compact calcite or aragonite that is translucent. http://www.caveofthewinds.com/test/terms.html

GEOLOGY FACTS Age of Cave : Has been dated from approximately 2 to 10 million years. ALABASTER : Hard compact calcite or aragonite that is translucent. ANTHODITE : (Greek origin: flower like.) Thin crystal strains found in clusters on cave ceilings can resemble a flower. ARAGONITE : Calcium carbonate (CaCO ) that differs from calcite by having a greater density and crystallizes into an orthorhombic form. (ortho rhom bic - three unequal axes at right angles to each other). BEADED HELICTITES : (same as Beaded Anthodites) Start out as small tubes, like stalactites. Unlike stalactites, which grow down because of dripping water, beaded anthodites grow from small drops of water that are forced into the cave through cracks. The surface tension of small drops is stronger than the force of gravity. For this reason, beaded anthodites can grow in any direction. There are several theories that explain the beads on beaded anthodites and helictites. One theory suggests that beads are related to climate change. Periods of high rainfall may cause bead growth. Another theory maintains that some crystal growth mechanism controls the formation of the beads and that climate may not affect growth. BREAKDOWN : in the Cave of the Winds is caused by two processes. The breakdown seen near entrances and in passageways that are near the surface is caused by freezing and thawing. As water seeps into the cracks, it will freeze and thaw, causing the water to expand and contract. This expansion and contraction widens and shifts the cracks, causing the rock to eventually break away and fall from the ceiling of the cave. Since it is close to the surface, the ceiling of the cave will collapse, causing a sinkhole. Some of the breakdown near the Old Manitou Grand Caverns entrance may have been caused by freeze-thaw action more than ten thousand years ago. The large breakdown from deep in the cave fell from the ceiling millions of years ago. As the passageways were being formed, some would become too wide to support the ceiling, causing the ceiling to fall.

70. Maryland Geological Survey: Howell Caves, Washington County Maryland Geological Survey, Geologic Features. Howell Caves, contact Jerry Baum,(gbaum@mgs.md.gov ). Howell Caves. geology (click on an image for a larger view). http://www.mgs.md.gov/esic/features/cave/howell.html

Geologic Features Howell Caves contact: Jerry Baum, gbaum@mgs.md.gov Howell Caves Geology: (click on an image for a larger view) Howell Cave Description The entrance to Howell Cave, at the base of a cliff, is a low, gravel-floored crawlway which extends for twelve feet to connect with a room approximately 18 feet in diameter and ten feet high. A muddy crawlway leads to a second room which is ten to 20 feet wide and 100 feet long. Several gravel-bottomed, clay pits approximately six feet deep are developed in the floor of this room but their relationship to the drainage of the cave is not clear. Speleothems are common in the rear of this room. A third crawlway which is floored with massive flowstone and a few shallow rimstone pools leads into the last room which is 30 feet long and terminates in very treacherous breakdown. During the spring and early summer, it is impossible to enter the cave due to a stream flowing from the cave entrance. Local residents insist that this cave formerly connected with a sinkhole, 700 yards north of Howell. This may well be "Cave-in-the-Field" which fits this description. Howell Cave is developed in flat lying beds of the Stones River Limestone.

71. Maryland Geological Survey: Round Top #8 Cave, Washington County Round Top 8 cave, contact Jerry Baum, (gbaum@mgs.md.gov ). Round Top 8cave. geology (click on an image for a larger view). Round Top cave No. http://www.mgs.md.gov/esic/features/cave/rtop8.html

Geologic Features Round Top #8 Cave contact: Jerry Baum, gbaum@mgs.md.gov Round Top #8 Cave Geology: (click on an image for a larger view) Round Top Cave No. 8 is a shelter cave which is developed in the apex of a closely folded anticline in the Bloomsburg Formation, 900 feet east of the mill and 25 feet above the canal. It is 50 feet wide, 20 feet high, and 40 feet long. Round Top #8 Cave Description (from ES3 -Caves of Maryland Click on a cave name or a number on the map to view images Washington County Crystal Grottoes Fairview Cave Groundhog Cave Hogmaw Cave ... Keefer Rd. Cave Round Top Cave #8 (45) Round Top Summit Cave Schetromph Cave Snivelys Caves Two Locks Cave ... Winders Cave updated Return to previous page Go to the Caves Home Page Go to the Next Page

72. Submarine Cave - Geology Tour - Navassa Island: A Photographic Tour - U.S. Geolo geology Photo Index. karst, lower terrace terrace slope sea cliffs sea cliffs bouldersboulders cliff face cliff face detail caves Vertical cave cave entrance http://coastal.er.usgs.gov/navassa/geology/caves10.html

Navassa Island: A Photographic Tour Navassa Island Home Explore Navassa take a Tour: geology biology history or Explore: fly sail hike scuba Navassa Location Map Explore Navassa - Geology Caves - North Coast - Submarine Cave previous photo Phosphate Entrance to a submarine cave on the north side of the island. [large version: Geology - Photo Index Sea Floor sea floor sea floor sculpted rock irregular floor ... eroded boulder Terraces rock terrace upper terrace upper terrace terraces ... cliff face detail Caves Vertical Cave cave entrance climbing down Vertical Cave vertical cave Cliff Cave down the cliff cave entrance in the cave cave wall ... cave pool Undersea Cave submarine cave Phosphate phosphate sand oolites fractured rock phosphorite ... speleothems Fossil Corals fossil coral fossil coral fossil coral fossil coral Erosion eroded coast solution hole solution holes Coastal and Marine Geology Program ... Geology Tour U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, Coastal and Marine Geology Program http://coastal.er.usgs.gov/navassa/geology/caves10.html

73. Chattanooga's Ruby Falls - GEOLOGY from Ruby Falls flows back through the cave and then down another waterfall (whichis inaccessible) and into the Tennessee River. Geological formations in Ruby http://www.rubyfalls.com/fun/geology.htm

G E O L O G Y history geology virtual tour photo album ... press kit Lookout Mountain is noted for its unusual geological phenomena. One of its unique features is Ruby Falls, an underground waterfall located deep inside the mountain. The fascinating story of the formation of Lookout Mountain and Ruby Falls is told by the rocks themselves. About 200 million years ago, on an ancient sea bed, skeletons of small creatures accumulated forming layers of limestone. Successive layers of shale, sand, and pebbly sand were deposited on top of a limestone-type material and gradually these thick layers hardened. A powerful earthquake, or more likely a series of them, caused the layers of rock to bend or fold upwards. As the brittle layers of limestone and sandstone rose from the ocean floor, cracks or crevices occurred. It was along these cracks, which scientists call joints, that Ruby Falls was formed. Many of these joints can be seen along the roof and walls of the Lookout Mountain Caverns. Ruby Falls is located in the limestone layer of the mountain. As the subterranean streams found their way through the crevices, the water dissolved the limestone and released an acid which aided in the formation of the cave. Lookout Mountain Caverns actually consists of two caves. The lower cave is about 50 feet above the level of the Tennessee River. The upper cave, containing Ruby Falls, lies directly above the original cave. Both were formed along the same fault line.

74. Geology And The Bible Q&A Oil and Flood geology (ICR Impact article); Paleosols digging deeper buries ‘challenge’to Flood geology (semitechnical Does cave formation take a long time http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/faq/geology.asp

UPHOLDING THE AUTHORITY OF THE BIBLE FROM THE VERY FIRST VERSE SEARCH Contact Us Home Store Events ... Support Recommended Resources An Ice Age Caused By the Genesis Flood Ancient Ice Ages or Gigantic Submarine Landslides? Evidences: the Record and the Flood (video) Evolution: Fact or Belief? (video) ... Printer-friendly version Geology Questions and Answers Alien/UFOs Apologetics Archaeology Arguments NOT to use Bible Biographies - Creationists Cloning Countering the Critics Creation Compromises Creation: Why It Matters Darwin, Charles Design Features Dinosaurs Education Embryonic Recapitulation Environmentalism Flood Fossils Geocentrism Genesis Genetics Geology God History Human Life: Abortion Ice Age Information Theory Jesus Christ Linguistics Mammoths Morality and Ethics Mutations Natural Selection Origin of Life Philosophy Plate Tectonics Probabilities Racism Radiometric Dating Religion (humanism, etc.) Science Speciation Thermodynamics and Order Young Age Evidence General topics: (Semi-Technical) The origin of old-Earth geology and its ramifications for life in the 21st century What geological evidence in our world today supports events mentioned in the Bible, such as a global flood? Assessing Creationist Stratigraphy with Evidence from the Gulf of Mexico (Semi-Technical) Australia's Burning Mountain A classic tillite reclassified as a submarine debris flow (Technical) Can Flood geology explain thick chalk layers?

75. Caves Park geology of cave and Karst Parks (National Park Service) http//www.aqd.nps.gov/grd/tour/caves.htmThis page lists parks that have a common geologic theme http://annettelamb.com/42explore/caves.htm

The Topic: Caves Easier - A cave is a large hole. It may be underground, in the side of a hill or mountain, or under a cliff. A cavern is a large cave. Caves are natural shelters. Animals often live in caves. A person who lives in a cave is called a cave dweller. During prehistoric times, cave dwellers painted pictures on the cave walls. Harder - A cave is an underground hollow or passage that is formed when water runs through an area with enough force to dissolve or wear away rock. Over many years as the water evaporates and simply drips, it leaves tiny deposits of calcium carbonate (calcite). These drops form rock sculptures that look like icicles called stalactites and stalagmites. Stalactites hang from the ceiling and stalagmites form from the ground up. To remember the difference, stalactites have a 'c' in the word for 'ceiling' and stalagmites have a 'g' for 'ground.' If they come together in the center, they become columns. Caves Theme Page from Gander Academy http://www.stemnet.nf.ca/CITE/cave.htm

76. ECB Surf Report: Geology glossary, and student activities. geology of Mammoth cave describesthe geology of the longest cave in the world. The Virtual cave http://www.ecb.org/surf/geology.htm

Your browser does not support JavaScript. Please use the text version of the archives menu below. Archives text only Contact us if you have questions or suggestions for the Surf Report! The text-only menu provides accessible and printer-friendly access to the Surf Report Archives. Geology (May 2000) Here are sites to help you and your students virtually explore the world of geology. They provide information on general geologic processes as well as on specific topics such as volcanoes, earthquakes, glaciers, or rocks and minerals. General l Volcanoes l Earthquakes l Rocks and Minerals Caves l Glaciers l Wisconsin Geology GENERAL Ask A Geologist , from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), invites students to submit questions for earth scientists to answer. (Before sending a question, students first should search the USGS Web site for answers.) USGS Geology in the Parks , for middle and high school students, includes information on plate tectonics, rocks and minerals, geologic time, caves, glaciers, and sand dunes, as well as a glossary of geologic terms and animations.

77. Geology Our cave is located in a band of limestone from the Monteagle Formation,which formed during the Mississippian Period (approx. 320 http://www.raccoonmountain.com/html/geology.html

Limestone caves are formed when acids attack and dissolve the calcite in limestone. This acid is usually carbonic acid (H2CO3), formed when carbon dioxide combines with water. Most of the carbon dioxide comes from decaying leaves and vegetation in the soil. Scientists believe that most caves form below the water table by slowly moving water. After a rain, the rainwater mixes with the carbon dioxide in the soil and dissolves the limestone underneath. Two factors control the formation of cave passages: vertical and horizontal fractures in the limestone; and the water table. A cave is formed by water moving slowly in the small fractures below the water table. The rate of flow below the fractures changes as some limestone is easier dissolved than others due to variations in composition. As some channels grow larger they take in more water, thereby growing faster. The cave forming process may take thousands of years and can be stopped by either the lowering of the water table or the formation of air passages in the cave system due to surface erosion. As outside air enters the cave system, the water quickly becomes supersaturated with calcite and the dissolving process stops. This change usually marks the beginning of the depositing of calcite in the form of stalactites, stalagmites, and other deposits known as speleothems. Note: The above was taken from Caves: A Teacher Resource Manual . This 40 page, illustrated manual is provided without charge to educators scheduling a cavern tour. The manual includes detailed information on cave formations, formation growth, environment, cave safety, and conservation along with classroom experiments and activity sheets.

78. Magura Cave Site - GEOLOGY webmaster. Formations in the cave. The caves have fantastic formations stalactites, stalagmites, stalctones, cave pearls, “cave milk”. http://www.magura.hit.bg/800x600/eng/geology.htm

home geology history the cave ... webmaster Formations in the cave The caves have fantastic formations - stalactites, stalagmites, stalctones, cave pearls, “cave milk” . Some of them are impressive both with their beauty and size. “The Big Stalctone” is over 20m high and has a diameter of 4m at its base. “The Fallen Pine” is the biggest stalagmite in the Bulgarian caves explored till now. It is over 11m long and has a diameter of 6m at its base.

79. Geology Cousins (Harper Brothers 1884). Nowhere can the study of cavegeologybe better prosecuted. The geyserite deposited by the mineral http://www.150.si.edu/siarch/handbook/geology.htm

Tour the Smithsonian After its First Fifty Years Department of Geology Geology can have only a meagre representation in the National Museum until another building is provided. Immense stores of specimens of rocks, drawings of sections to illustrate dynamic geology, denudation, etc., are in reserve, besides thousands of fossils. Few objects of interest are as yet exhibited. The pictures of scenery and structure near the Grand Canyon of the Rio Colorado, made for the U. S. Geological Survey by W. H. Holmes; models of that profound gorge; of the Yellowstone National Park, of the bristling peaks of the Sierra San Juan (recalling the dolomite district of the Alps), of Vesuvius with its lava channels, and others, will attract attention. A few of what may be called the curiosities of geology, however, must not be overlooked, first of all the column and sparkling stalagmites and stalactites from the cavern of Luray, the most interesting of all American caves, although of less size than the Mammoth. The Luray caverns are in Page county, Virginia, and easily accessible from Washington, since they lie directly upon the line of the Shenandoah Valley railway. They were discovered in 1870 and Soon opened to the public by an enterprising company of owners who built an exceedingly comfortable hotel, the Luray Inn, established a regular hack service, and lighted the caves by electricity These caves are of vast extent and some of the chambers are of great size. They are characterized by the great abundance of stalactites

80. Cenote Science Cave Diving Exploration Of The World's Largest Underwater Cave Sy Present Situation. The present condition of the caves from a geologicalpoint of view is for the most part pretty stable. There are http://www.mexicocavediving.com/geology.html

Science Overview Formation of Solution Caves Solution Caves are able to form because certain conditions allow it. Limestone, which comprises much of the bedrock of the Yucatan Peninsula is an essential ingredient. Rain water, as it falls from the sky, mixes with carbon dioxide to form a weak solution called carbonic acid. As this concoction seeks the water table below the surface, it dissolves the limestone. Over the course of many thousands of years the caves are formed. The same beautiful decorations that one might encounter in a dry cave such as stalactites, stalagmites, columns and halactites are all present here in the Yucatan Peninsula. Effects of Glaciation on the Yucatan Peninsula "Glaciers on the Yucatan Peninsula?", you ask. Well, not really, but the last Ice Age did have an impact on the Yucatan Peninsula. During the last Ice Age, water levels of the world's oceans were on average 100 meters or 300 feet lower than their present day levels. If you sit back and think about that for a minute you can immediately see that the caves that we are presently diving were all dry during that period. When the Ice Age came to a close some 10,000 to 12,000 years ago, the climate of the planet warmed up, the glaciers receded and the caves were flooded. Scientists have varying views on how fast the water levels rose back up but most agree that it reached its current level around 1,000 years ago. Carbon dating of artifacts found in some area caves shows them to be 7,000 years old.

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