Lechuguilla Cave is a cave in Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico, United States, known for its unusual geology, rare formations, and pristine condition. At , it is the ninth-longest explored cave in the world. Its measured depth of makes it the seventh-deepest cave in the United States.

The cave is named for the canyon through which it is entered, which is named for Agave lechuguilla, a species of plant found there. Access to the cave is limited to approved scientific researchers, survey and exploration teams, and National Park Service management-related trips.

The cave was visited infrequently after mining activities ceased. However, in the 1950s, cavers heard wind roaring up from the rubble-choked cave floor. Although no route was obvious, people concluded that more cave passages were present below the rubble. Led by Dave Allured, a group of cavers from the Colorado Grotto gained permission from the National Park Service to begin digging in 1984. On May 25, 1986, they broke through into large, naturally-occurring walking passages.

Lechuguilla was the deepest known cave in the United States until the exploration of Tears of the Turtle Cave in 2014.

Geology

thumb|Stalagmites, stalactites, and draperies by a pool

Lechuguilla Cave holds a variety of rare speleothems, including lemon-yellow sulfur deposits, gypsum chandeliers, gypsum hairs and beards, soda straws, hydromagnesite balloons, cave pearls, subaqueous helictites, rusticles, U-loops, and J-loops. Lechuguilla Cave surpasses nearby Carlsbad Cavern in size, depth, and variety of speleothems, though no room has been discovered yet in Lechuguilla Cave that is larger than Carlsbad's Big Room. Any leakage of gas or fluids into the cave's passages could kill cave life or cause explosions.

Other studies indicate that some microbes may have medicinal qualities that are beneficial to humans.

Filming

The Denver Museum of Nature and Science filmed one of the first documentaries in the cave: 1987's "Lechuguilla Cave: The Hidden Giant", which featured many of the cavers responsible for the breakthrough and initial survey work. The video was broadcast on the Denver PBS station KRMA-TV in 1989.

The 1992 National Geographic Society program Mysteries Underground was also filmed extensively in Lechuguilla Cave.

Lechuguilla Cave appears in the BBC documentary series Planet Earth. The fourth episode, "Caves", aired on April 22, 2007, documented scientists and filmmakers exploring Lechuguilla Cave, including the Chandelier Ballroom, which has high-quality crystals. The team took two years to get permission to film.

In October 2016, crew members from London-based production company Nutopia descended into Lechuguilla Cave with microbiologist Hazel Barton to film a sequence for season 1, episode 4 (titled "Genesis") of the National Geographic series One Strange Rock.

See also

  • List of longest caves in the United States
  • List of longest caves

References

  • Nova: The Mysterious Life of Caves, Journey into Lechuguilla
  • The Giant Crystal Project
  • BBC Press release: Planet Earth Caves and Lechuguilla