Mammoth Cave
Right, Violet City. Jackie Wheet, National Park Service (NPS) (Public Domain).
Near the start of this Module, we discussed how rainwater soaks into the ground and moves toward rivers through spaces in the rocks. This process is always important, but it usually is not very dramatic. Occasionally, though, it makes spectacular features worthy of being national parks… caves. The cave with the greatest total known length of passages is Mammoth Cave, deep beneath the rolling hills of Kentucky. Mammoth Cave has more than 425 miles of surveyed passageways (almost 700 km), and the Park Service estimates that there may be 600 more miles to be mapped (almost 1000 km). And, Mammoth Cave National Park includes more than 200 other smaller caves that are not known to connect with the big cave.
Mammoth Cave has been used by Native Americans for at least 5000 years. After European settlement, the cave was mined for saltpeter (containing nitrates) for use in gunpowder, especially during the war of 1812. The source was bat guano (the polite name for it) deposited over the ages by great flocks of bats. There are over 1000 archaeological sites in the cave.
Take a tour of Mammoth Cave
Want to see more?
Here is another optional vTrip you might also want to explore! (No, it won't be on the quiz!)
Mammoth Cave National Park
(Provided by USGS)