An international team of 37 cavers reached a milestone during the exploration and study of the deepest cave in the Western Hemisphere, the so-called Huautla System located in Oaxaca, Mexico. The experts who were already keeping an eye on the cave were amazed to realize that it is much larger than they thought.
The intricate Huautla System
The Huautla System, as it is known in the world of caving, is a system of caves that sink into the mountains of the Sierra Mazateca of the state of Oaxaca, Mexico. It is an intricate system of interconnected systems with different entrances that is of great importance for research, because it covers the entire American continent and, therefore, the Western Hemisphere.
Due to its complex karst rock characteristics and the fact that it is an underground cave, it is very difficult for speleologists to know the exact size of the system. The last expedition of the Huautla System Speleological Project entered the cavernous system last April, the driest month of all, which helps reduce the risk of being trapped underground by a flood.
“With teams camping deep underground with no way to contact the surface, we are always keeping an eye on water levels,” Bill Steele, a spelunker who led the exploration. However, “this April was wetter than normal, which made our exploration a little difficult,” he added.
The system is much deeper than previously thought.
Despite the difficulties, the team achieved a milestone in the exploration of the Huautla System, as they discovered that the cave is much deeper than previously believed. A total of 222 meters were added to the known size of the cavernous system, which suggests that it has a depth of 1,581 metersequivalent to more than five Obispado Towers, the tallest in all of Latin America, stacked one after the other.
The most recent exploration also revealed that The Huautla System has 26 entrances connected to the cave, In addition, it is estimated that The complexity of the karst rock was formed more than 15 million years ago. The data returned is of great interest to researchers, since information was found on life forms adapted to caves, paleontological remains of extinct animals and ancient climate patterns.
It is now known that the caves of Huautla, Oaxaca, have a size that exceeds 100 kilometers and have been positioned as the tenth deepest cave on the entire globe. “It is one of the most magnificent caves in the world and it is a privilege to discover more of its beauty and wonders,” concludes Steele.