An underground lake or subterranean lake is a lake underneath the surface of the Earth. Most naturally occurring underground lakes are found in areas of karst topography,[1][2] where limestone or other soluble rock has been weathered away, leaving a cave where water can flow and accumulate.
An underground lake is any body of water that is similar in size to a surface lake and exists mostly or entirely underground; though, a precise scientific definition of what may be considered a "lake" is not yet well-established.[6] Underground lakes could be classified as either “lakes” or "ponds", depending on characteristics of size, such as exposed surface area and/or depth.
The rarity of naturally-occurring underground lakes can be attributed to the way water behaves underground. Below the surface of the Earth, pressure exterted on water increases, causing it to be absorbed into the ground. The boundary at which there is sufficient sub-terranean pressure to completely saturate the ground with water is called the water table. The area above the water table is called the “unsaturated zone,” while the area below it is called the “saturated zone” [2].[7] In the saturated zone, pressure is the primary force driving the flow of water. Lakes form primarily under the force of gravity – water is pulled down to the lowest point in an area, and gathers into a lake. Any water below the water table will be under pressure, and so does not form a lake; instead, it forms an aquifer.
Naturally-occurring underground lakes can form in Karst areas, where the weathering of soluble rocks leaves behind caverns and other openings in the earth.[2] Surface water can find its way underground through these openings[8] and pool up in larger caverns to form lakes.
^Palmer, Arthur N. (2007). Cave geology. Dayton, Ohio: Cave Books. ISBN978-0-939748-66-2. OCLC 74965086.
^ abcEarle, Steven (September 2015). Physical Geology (2nd ed.). pp. ch. 14.2: Groundwater Flow. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
^Kelly, Daniel (24 January 2014). "Dragon's Breath Cave Holds the World's Largest Underground Lake". Lake Scientist. from the original on 1 March 2015. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
^"Dragon's Breath Cave: Namibia has the worlds largest underground lake". Wanted in Africa. 12 June 2020. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
^"History of the Lost Sea". The Lost Sea. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
^Lane, Robert K. "Lake". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
^"Water Table". National Geographic. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
^Parise, M.; Gunn, J. (2007). "Natural and anthropogenic hazards in karst areas: an introduction". Geological Society, London, Special Publications. The Geological Society of London. 279: 1–3. doi:10.1144/sp279.1. S2CID 130950517. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
^Johnson, Rob (18 December 2021). "Croesor Rhosydd Through Trip". Mountaineering Instruction and Courses in Snowdonia. Retrieved 2 October 2022.
^. ukBouldering.com. 2 June 2002. Archived from the original on 7 February 2012.
^"Discover and Experience". Salz Welten. Retrieved 2 October 2022.
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An underground lake or subterranean lake is a lake underneath the surface of the Earth Most naturally occurring underground lakes are found in areas of karst topography 1 2 where limestone or other soluble rock has been weathered away leaving a cave where water can flow and accumulate Underground lake within Cross Cave in Slovenia one of 22 such lakesNatural underground lakes are an uncommon hydrogeological feature More often groundwater gathers in formations such as aquifers or springs The largest subterranean lake in the world is in Dragon s Breath Cave in Namibia 3 with an area of almost 2 hectares 5 acres 4 the second largest is The Lost Sea located inside Craighead Caverns in Tennessee United States with an area of 1 8 hectares 4 4 acres 5 Contents 1 Characteristics 2 Examples 3 Gallery 4 See also 5 References 6 External linksCharacteristics editAn underground lake is any body of water that is similar in size to a surface lake and exists mostly or entirely underground though a precise scientific definition of what may be considered a lake is not yet well established 6 Underground lakes could be classified as either lakes or ponds depending on characteristics of size such as exposed surface area and or depth The rarity of naturally occurring underground lakes can be attributed to the way water behaves underground Below the surface of the Earth pressure exterted on water increases causing it to be absorbed into the ground The boundary at which there is sufficient sub terranean pressure to completely saturate the ground with water is called the water table The area above the water table is called the unsaturated zone while the area below it is called the saturated zone 2 7 In the saturated zone pressure is the primary force driving the flow of water Lakes form primarily under the force of gravity water is pulled down to the lowest point in an area and gathers into a lake Any water below the water table will be under pressure and so does not form a lake instead it forms an aquifer Naturally occurring underground lakes can form in Karst areas where the weathering of soluble rocks leaves behind caverns and other openings in the earth 2 Surface water can find its way underground through these openings 8 and pool up in larger caverns to form lakes Underground lakes can be formed by human processes such as the flooding of mines Two examples of these are lakes found in the slate mines at Blaenau Ffestiniog such as Croesor quarry 9 10 and a lake in the Hallein Salt Mine in Austria 11 Examples editSee also Category Underground lakes Craighead Caverns in Tennessee United States Dragon s Breath Cave in Namibia Kow Ata in Turkmenistan Moqua Well in Nauru Saint Leonard underground lake in Switzerland Cross Cave in SloveniaGallery edit nbsp An underwater lake in Cueva Maronal located in the Elias Soplin Vargas District of Peru nbsp Fairy Kingdom a cave inside the Saalfeld Fairy Grottoes in Thuringia Germany nbsp Cave of the Sergeant located in near Saint Guilhem le Desert in Herault France nbsp Lake Lebarge in the Lechuguilla Cave Eddy County New Mexico New Mexico United States nbsp A geological cross section showing the key hydrological features of Karst topography that lead to the formation of underwater caves See also edit nbsp Lakes portal nbsp Water portalSubglacial lake Lake under a glacier Subterranean river River that runs wholly or partly beneath the ground surface Subterranean waterfall Waterfall located undergroundReferences edit Palmer Arthur N 2007 Cave geology Dayton Ohio Cave Books ISBN 978 0 939748 66 2 OCLC 74965086 a b c Earle Steven September 2015 Physical Geology 2nd ed pp ch 14 2 Groundwater Flow Retrieved 29 September 2022 Kelly Daniel 24 January 2014 Dragon s Breath Cave Holds the World s Largest Underground Lake Lake Scientist Archived from the original on 1 March 2015 Retrieved 31 May 2016 Dragon s Breath Cave Namibia has the worlds largest underground lake Wanted in Africa 12 June 2020 Retrieved 29 September 2022 History of the Lost Sea The Lost Sea Retrieved 29 September 2022 Lane Robert K Lake Encyclopedia Britannica Retrieved 29 September 2022 Water Table National Geographic Retrieved 29 September 2022 Parise M Gunn J 2007 Natural and anthropogenic hazards in karst areas an introduction Geological Society London Special Publications The Geological Society of London 279 1 3 doi 10 1144 sp279 1 S2CID 130950517 Retrieved 29 September 2022 Johnson Rob 18 December 2021 Croesor Rhosydd Through Trip Mountaineering Instruction and Courses in Snowdonia Retrieved 2 October 2022 Croesor Rhosydd Through Trip ukBouldering com 2 June 2002 Archived from the original on 7 February 2012 Discover and Experience Salz Welten Retrieved 2 October 2022 External links edit nbsp Media related to Underground lakes at Wikimedia Commons nbsp This caving related article is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte nbsp This hydrology article is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte nbsp This article related to topography is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Underground lake amp oldid 1185354719, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
