Explorers discover spectacular caves in Vietnam, perhaps the world's largest

G_j

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Mon Jan-03-11 05:41 PM
Original message

Explorers discover spectacular caves in Vietnam, perhaps the world's largest

Edited on Mon Jan-03-11 05:42 PM by G_j

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/20110103/ts_yblog_thelookout/explorers-discover-spectacular-caves-in-vietnam

Mon Jan 3, 2:23 pm ET

Explorers discover spectacular caves in Vietnam
By Brett Michael Dykes

By Brett Michael Dykes For decades, geologists have known that Vietnam is home to some of the world's most spectacular caves, many of them largely unexplored. Now husband-and-wife cavers have documented perhaps the world's largest: Hang Son Doong, big enough in places to accommodate a New York City block of skyscrapers.

The cave in the Annamite Mountains contains a river and jungle (its name translates to "mountain river cave") and even its own thin clouds, and its end remains out of sight. It's part of a network of about 150 caves in central Vietnam near the Laotian border.

photos:
http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/Giant-Cave-Discovered-Vietnam/ss/events/lf/010311vietnamcave
Howard and Deb Limbert of England led the first expedition to enter Hang Son Doong in 2009, but they were stopped a couple of miles in by a huge calcite wall. The team returned recently to climb the wall, take measurements and try to find the cavern's end.

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Drale

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Mon Jan-03-11 05:45 PM
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1. Its like a Genesis Cave

Wonder if they will find some dinosaurs living in there lol

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jobycom

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Mon Jan-03-11 05:51 PM
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2. Moria?

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EFerrari

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Mon Jan-03-11 05:54 PM
Response to Original message

3. Howard Zinn describes a meeting he and Dan Berrigan attended

as being held in a cave -- one large enough to seat a large audience. Can't wrap my head around it. :)

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suffragette

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Mon Jan-03-11 06:03 PM
Response to Reply #3

4. Take a look at the interactive page National Geographic

has for this.
Truly spectacular:
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2011/01/largest-cave/largest-cave-interactive

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EFerrari

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Mon Jan-03-11 06:05 PM
Response to Reply #4

5. Thanks, I will!

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G_j

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Mon Jan-03-11 06:14 PM
Response to Reply #4

6. Thank you

very cool

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suffragette

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Mon Jan-03-11 06:29 PM
Response to Reply #6

7. Thanks for the OP

Would not have seen this if you hadn't posted.
Absolutely stunning.

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malaise

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Mon Jan-03-11 06:31 PM
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8. He didn't discover it

The Vietnamese knew it was there and it is beautiful.

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G_j

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Tue Jan-04-11 12:26 PM
Response to Reply #8

9. good point

sort of like Columbus "discovering" America.

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