Cumberland Caverns is a national natural landmark located in Tennessee. It is the second longest cave in Tennessee and one of the longest in the United States. The cave contains many geological formations such as stalagmites, stalactites, and gypsum crystals. Cumberland Caverns was first discovered in 1810 and continues to be explored, with small passages still being found occasionally. Weathering and erosion created the cave over thousands of years by dissolving the limestone bedrock.
2. Cumberland Caves
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Cumberland Caverns is located in
Tennessee and an operating show
cave.
It is a national natural landmark.
It is the second longest cave in
Tennessee and makes the list of
longest caves in the United States
and in the world.
Stalagmites, stalactites, helictites,
flowstone, cave pearls, botryoidal
coral, gypsum flowers, needles, and
pure white gypsum snow, as well as
a wide variety of cave life are
inside.[1]
3. Cumberland Caves
During the 19th century groups
would ride out to the entrance in
hay wagons and make the
strenuous trip to a point in the
cave now known as the Ten Acre
Room. It was called the Big Room.
Here, many visitors left their
names and the date candled on
the ceiling.[1]
Some of the oldest and most
widespread collections of
prehistoric cave and rock art in
the U.S. have been found in
Tennessee, according to a recent
paper about Cumberland Plateau
cave and rock art published in the
June edition of the British
archaeological journal Antiquity.
[2]
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4. Cumberland Cave, Devilstep Hollow Cave &
Cumberland Gap
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The main entrance was discovered by
Aaron Higgenbotham in 1810.[1]
It is widely accepted that the
Cumberland Gap in Appalachia was
formed by flowing water during the
continental plate collisions.[3]
While the last major discovery of
virgin cave came in 1976, small side
passages are occasionally
discovered by spelunkers during the
cave's off season.[4]
The Cumberland Plateau of Tennessee
is a classic tableland plateau. The
plateau surface is an area of gentle
relief with a general elevation of
about 550 meters.[5]
5. Caves Weathering & Erosion
The term weathering means decay and
decomposition of the rocks.
Weathering has many agents such
as wind and rain .Erosion and
weathering together are what
carves out caves and changes the
Earth's surface. Weathering and
erosion constantly change the
Earth.[6]
Every drop of water on the cave ceiling
yields a tiny amount of calcite,
creating formations that grow from
the ceiling downwards and are
called stalactites.When water
droplets fall on the ground of the
cave, it allows the carbon monoxide
to escape and simultaneously the
water again deposits a tiny amount
of calcite on the ground. These
calcite deposits grow upwards and
are called stalagmites.[6]
When a stalactite and a stalagmite
join into one formation, they form a
columnar feature called stalagnate.
[6]
Caves form in places where the
relatively easy to dissolve limestone
deposits are close to the surface,
that is to say, in places where
sufficient amounts of water, which
dissolves the limestone, can seep
through.[6]
6. Cumberland Caves Features
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The Hall of the Mountain King is
largest cave room in the Eastern
United States and is so immense
that only 1/3 of the chamber can be
seen at any given time.
The Volcano Room, another destination
for early explorers, is named for its
steep, high sides and bowl-like
floor. Another unique feature of
Cumberland Caverns is the huge
chandelier hanging from the ceiling
of the Volcano Room.[4]
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7. Cumberland Caves Features
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The Crystal Palace, an extensive
avenue of exquisite gypsum crystals.
Gypsum formations of all kinds are
found in Cumberland Caverns, and
many experienced cavers agree that
the gypsum crystals found here are
among the most abundant and
beautiful in the world.[4]
The Ten Acre Room is located at the
end of Higgenbotham Cave's
Historic Route. The Ten Acre Room
is an immense, dirt-floored chamber
that was the goal of the "haywagon
party" spelunkers of the 1800's. A
tremendous number of names are
smoked on the ceiling, most dating
back to the 1800's.[4]
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8. Sources
1. 2015 Cumberland Caves & Cumberland Gap
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cumberland_Caverns
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cumberland_Gap
2. 2013, Veal Jenni, Ancient Art Unearthed
http://nooga.com/163682/ancient-art-unearthed-at-devilstep-hollow-cave/
3. 2015, Mahaney Erin, Cumberland Gap and Caves
http://geography.about.com/od/unitedstatesofamerica/a/Cumberland-Gap.htm
9. Sources
4. 2004 Cumberland Caves
http://everything2.com/title/Cumberland+Caverns
5. 1981 GUIDEBOOK TO KARST AND CAVES OF TENNESSEE: EMPHASIS ON
THE CUMBERLAND PLATEAU ESCARPMENT REGION
Nicholas Crawford Department of Geography and Geology
Western Kentucky University and, Jerry D. Vineyard Assistant State Geologist
Division of Geology and Land Survey Missouri Department of Natural Resources
Prepared for the EIGHTH INTERNATIONAL ,CONGRESS OF SPELEOLOGY
http://www.karstportal.org/sites/karstportal.org/files/guidebook_to_karst_an
d_caves_of_tennessee_and_missouri.pdf
The Cumberland Gap is a V-shaped passage through the Appalachian Mountains at the intersection of Kentucky, Virginia and Tennessee.[3] Cumberland Caverns is in fact two separate caves; Henshaw Cave, the smaller of the two, is the starting point. You can walk through the entirety of Henshaw Cave within five minutes of entering the cave. Higgenbotham Cave, a focal point of local cave exploration since the mid-1800's, makes up the rest of Cumberland Caverns.[4]Devil Step Hollow Cave, at the edge of Cumberland and Bledsoe counties, is the drainage system for Grassy Cove and the headwaters of the Sequatchie River. Devilstep Hollow cave has been identified as one of the most archaeologically significant caves in Tennessee.[3]
Another smaller cave, also located on Cardwell Mountain, was also discovered about this time and was named Henshaw Cave. Although not nearly as big as Higgenbotham Cave, Henshaw Cave proved to be a source of saltpeter (the main ingredient of gunpowder) and was operated as a saltpeter mine during perhaps both the War of 1812 and the Civil War. Cumberland Caverns formed in Mississippian Montegeale limestone on the western escarpment of the Cumberland Plateau.[1] Nearly 100 rock and cave art images carbon-dated between 500 and 6,000 years old are being cataloged and researched .[2]
Roughly 100 million years later, North America collided with Africa, causing the young pliable rock to fold and uplift. This collision resulted in the rippled and crumpled appearance of the United States eastern seaboard, now known as the Appalachian Mountains. Running water did indeed have a role in forming the gap, but science indicates its creation was aided by an impact from outer space. It is over 20,000 acres, 14,000 of which remain wilderness.[3] Along the western escarpment of the Cumberland Plateau is a rather narrow but important area of karstic topography. Caves are abundant in this region with most of the larger caves occurring in the Monteagle Limestone near the bottom of the 300 meter escarpment. The sinkhole plain at the base of the escarpment is usually about ten to fifteen in width and corresponds with the area of the cherty St. Louis and lower Monteagle Limestones. Maps of cave locations in Tennessee, such as those prepared by Barr (1961) and Matthews (1971), show a high concentration of caves along two somewhat
parallel lines extending northeast-southwest across the state
just east of Middle Tennessee.[5]
Rain water, enriched by carbon monoxide from the atmosphere, seeps into the soil, collecting on its way sufficient amounts of carbon monoxide produced by plants and bacteria. Water rich in carbon monoxide flows downwards to the level of the underground water (water table). As it travels, it dissolves limestone alongside cracks and clefts. These cavities gradually widen, until there is an entire network of cavities filled with water. When these cavities are full of water, limestone dissolves alongside the entire perimeter, ground, walls, and ceiling. If the level of the underground water falls, water flows out of the caves and the caves may be explored.[6]
Formations of interest within the cavern include:
The "Volcano Room," where many of the cave's commercial events are hosted.
"Monument Pillar," a large flowstone formation.
"Crystal Palace," which contains crystals and gypsum flowers.
Three spelunking tunnels known as "the Devil's Backbone" due to their winding spine-like walkways.
The "Lemon Squeezer," so named because its widest point is only 11 inches (280 mm).
"Bubblegum Alley," a passageway similar in size to the Lemon Squeezer but with damper ground that makes it sticky.
“The Hall of the Mountain King," whose dimensions of 600 ft (180 m) long by 150 ft (46 m) wide by 140 ft (43 m) tall make it one of the largest cave rooms in eastern North America.[1]
A tremendous number of names are smoked on the ceiling and walls in the Ten Acre Cave, most dating back to the 1800's.The Great Extension, a tremendous section of new cave, was discovered in 1954. Located in the Great Extension is the Crystal Palace and the Bear Feet Crawl. The Crystal Palace and Bearfeet Crawl are only two of the myriad of wonders found in the Great Extension. Many domes, pits, miles of tight crawlways, huge rooms with soaring ceilings, and breathtaking speleothems are found in the Great Extension.[4]
![Cumberland Caves
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Cumberland Caverns is located in
Tennessee and an operating show
cave.
It is a national natural landmark.
It is the second longest cave in
Tennessee and makes the list of
longest caves in the United States
and in the world.
Stalagmites, stalactites, helictites,
flowstone, cave pearls, botryoidal
coral, gypsum flowers, needles, and
pure white gypsum snow, as well as
a wide variety of cave life are
inside.[1]](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)