Speleologists have discovered the largest known underground thermal lake on the planet. (Photo courtesy of Neuron Foundation)
New results from the expedition confirm that researchers have identified the largest underground thermal lake in the world, located in a cave in southern Albania.
A team of scientists from the Czech Republic first stumbled upon the lake four years ago, but they didn't have the equipment to measure it, according to a translated statement from the Neuron Foundation, an organization that supports the Czech scientists' research.
Now the team has revealed that they plan to return to the lake in 2024 with state-of-the-art 3D scanners, confirming that the hidden body of water is the largest known to science.
Scientists named the lake “Neuron” after the foundation that financed the recent expedition. The lake is 138 meters (454 feet) long and 42 meters (138 feet) wide.
“In order for Czech science to be able to present this amazing discovery, it was necessary to conduct scientific research and precise measurements,” said Marek Audi, a cave explorer who led both expeditions.
Odi and his colleagues first discovered the hidden camera while exploring the border region between Albania and Greece, which has been the subject of political tension for more than a century and has therefore remained closed to some research.
This lake is thermal, meaning that its temperature is raised by geothermal processes in the earth's crust.
While exploring an area near the town of Leskovik in Albania, the team noticed a huge column of steam rising from a mountain ridge, and upon closer inspection discovered it was coming from a chasm more than 100 metres (330 feet) deep, Odi said.
Odi added that the researchers descended into the pit and came across a vast network of caves, some of which contained thermal springs and one of which contained a large lake.
“During our initial survey, we created a simple map using our equipment and immediately knew we had found something unusual,” photographer and expedition member Richard Buda told Euronews.
Sourse: www.livescience.com
