The cave so huge it has its own weather system: Explorers discover a lost world

[Buster's Uncle]

The cave so huge it has its own weather system: Explorers discover a lost  world with thick cloud and fogs trapped inside

• The cave system was discovered in the  Chongquing province of China by a team of cavers and  photographers
• Caver Robbie Shone, from Manchester, said  a few of the caves had previously been used by nitrate miners but had not been  properly explored
• The network, which includes 'cloud Ladder  Hall' measuring around 51,000 metres squared, has water sources and vegetation  of the floor
  

By  Sarah Griffiths
PUBLISHED: 06:08 EST, 2  October 2013  |  UPDATED: 08:44 EST, 2 October 2013
  Adventurers have stumbled across a cave so  enormous that it has its own weather system, complete with wispy clouds and  lingering fog inside vast caverns.
A team of expert cavers and photographers  have been exploring the vast cave system in the
Chongquing  province of China and have taken the first-ever photographs of the natural  wonder.

They were amazed to discover the entrance to  the hidden Er Wang Dong cave system and were stunned when they managed to climb  inside to see a space so large that it can contain a cloud.
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The Caves Of Houping, China

The view from a small window in the wall of the vast  Niubizi Tian Keng in the Er Wang Dong cave system, where clouds form inside the  huge spaces. Three tiny explorers can be seen negotiating the heavily vegetated  floor An intrepid cave explorer ascends a rope hanging from  the Niubizi Tian Keng. This photograph is one of the first-ever images taken of  one of a cave so large it has its own weather system
Photographer and caver Robbie Shone, from  Manchester, was part of a team of 15 explorers on a month-long expedition that  discovered the hidden system. 'A few of the caves had previously been used  by nitrate miners, at the areas close to the entrance, but had never been  properly explored before,' he  said.
'All the major passageways were deep  underground and had never seen light before.

Explorer Duncan Collis (pictured) climbs a thin rope up  to a small ledge overlooking the vast floor surface of Niubizi Tian Keng in the  Er Wang Dong cave system. A team of expert cavers have been exploring the caves  in the Chongquing province of China
The tranquil rural village of Ranjiagou falls nearby the  hidden natural wonder is pictured left, while an intrepid caver stands on the  central ridge overlooking the cathedral-like Cloud Ladder Hall, where fog  conceals the roof hundreds of metres above (right) American speleologist Erin Lynch struggles to pull her  way across a raging torrent of white water, which is the main river in Quankou  Dong. One of the explorers said they had to be aware of high water levels inside  the caves, especially when it rained heavily on the surface

'It is always very special, knowing that you  are the first to step foot into a cave or somewhere where nobody had previously  seen, not knowing what you might find and discover.

'Where else on Earth can still hold secrets  and mysteries of discovery? That's what I love so much about  exploring.
Mr Shones was particularly excited about the  cave network's interior weather system. The spectacular beddings in the roof of Quankou.  Photographer and caver Robbie Shone, from Manchester, was part of a team of 15  explorers on a month-long expedition who stumbled across the natural  wonder The underground camp in Sang Wang Dong is cosy and warm,  according to the cavers. Hot food and drink recharge weary and tired explorers  who sleep in either suspended hammocks or on roll mats on the floor, before  venturing out into the vast surroundings American speleologist Erin Lynch peers down over her  shoulder into a giant void of cloud.The floor is over 240m below and although it  cant be seen due to the thick cloud that lingers around her, the echo that  reverberates several seconds later reminds her of the volume of empty space and  her lofty location

'I had never seen anything quite like the  inside cloud ladder before,' he said.

'Thick cloud and fogs hangs in the upper half  of the cave, where it gets trapped and unable to escape through the small  passage in the roof, 250m above the ground.

'It reminded me of being in an abandoned  slate quarrying North Wales in bad weather.
The cave system discovered is not the only  one with clouds inside, as humidity rises inside the caverns into colder air to  form clouds inside the giant, enclosed spaces.
Large stalagmites at the foot of a giant ascending ramp  to another level of development in San Wang Dong create a spectacle mid-way  through a section of cave called Crusty Duvets A giant calcite stalactite boss, dwarfs team member Matt  Ryan as he looks up at the giant geological feature
The network, includes 'Cloud Ladder Hall'  which itself  measures around 51,000 metres squared, while there  are rivers and vegetation on the floor of  some of its huge caverns.
'Most caves are either accessed by large  walking entrance, some require a long deep swim, other may be very vertical in  nature where you need ropes to abseil down the walls deep into the  caves.

'We had to be aware of high water levels  inside the caves, especially when it rained heavily on the surface. 

'The drainage catchment to these caves is  massive and soon the caves can be extremely dangerous and impassable,' he  added.
Duncan Collis and Erin Lynch walk through a section of  cave in San Wang Dong called The Sea of Tranquility. Here remains of old Nitrate  mining cover the floor in forms of harths - pits and unwanted spoil. One team  member said it reminded him of being in an abandoned slate quarrying North Wales  in bad weather An explorer scales the rope up a vertical section of  cave known as a pit in Xinu Attic Crystal clear pools and slow moving streams make it  easier to explore Quankou Dongs main river passage in the huge network of caves  that have not welcomed visitors in years

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2441450/Er-Wang-Dong-cave-China-huge-weather-system.html

[Unorthodox]

Wickedly awesome. 

[JarlWolf]

I remember in Age of Mythology, which is an Age of Empires style game made by Ensemble, I used to have such an obsession with making caves and subterranean maps that I was nicknamed "The Father of CaveMaking."