Optymistychna Cave
Gypsum cave system in Korolivka, Ukraine
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Optymistychna Cave (Ukrainian: Оптимістична, lit. 'optimistic') formerly known as Peshchera Optimistitscheskaya,[2][a] is a gypsum cave located near the Ukrainian village of Korolivka, Chortkiv Raion, Ternopil Oblast.[3] Approximately 264 km (164 mi)[4] of passageways have been mapped within.[1] As a result, it is the longest cave in Europe and the seventh-longest cave in the world.[5] It is also the longest gypsum cave in the world.[1]
| Optymistychna Cave | |
|---|---|
| |
 Interactive map of Optymistychna Cave | |
| Location | near Ukrainian village of Korolivka, Chortkiv Raion, Ternopil Oblast |
| Coordinates | 48°44′33″N 25°59′37″E |
| Length | 230 km (140 mi)[1] |
| Discovery | 1966 |
| Geology | gypsum |
| Website | optymistychna |
History
The cave complex was discovered by members of the Lviv speleological club Cyclope in 1966. It was entirely unknown before then.[6] There have been more than 50 expeditions since its discovery, but exploration has slowed significantly in recent years, and very little surveying is currently being done.[3] The cave is located very close to Priest's Grotto, the eleventh-longest cave in the world, but the two caves have not yet been found to be connected.[1]
In 2008, the cave was recognized as a Natural Wonder of Ukraine.[7]
Geology
The entire cave lies under a 2-square-kilometre (0.77 sq mi) area in a layer of Neogene period gypsum that is less than 30 metres (98 ft) thick.[6][8] The passages tend to be fairly small, no more than 3 metres (10 ft) wide and 1.5 metres (5 ft) tall, although at intersections they can be up to 10 metres (33 ft) tall.[6] They are often choked with mud. They comprise a dense network on several levels, making Optymistychna known as a "maze cave".
Optymistychna's gypsum bed is topped with a limestone layer, which has seeped through into the cave via erosion and formed into calcite speleothems.[6] At other places, the gypsum has formed crystals, often tinted a multitude of colors by mineral salts. In some areas, large gypsum rosettes have formed, colored black by manganese oxide.[6]
Notes
- This English transliteration was used during the Soviet era but is now deprecated.
