Inside a 630-foot-deep sinkhole, scientists have found an entire forest, located in China.
This sinkhole has been found to contain ancient trees as well as other species.
Discovered on May 6, in Leye County, in the Guangxi Zhuang Antonomous Region in China by cave explorers, the cave has three entrances that are 492 feet wide and 1,004 feet long.
What’s that? Oh, just a forest inside a sinkhole in China. pic.twitter.com/PvWpC38QGP
— Nine Dragons (@NineDragons2) May 12, 2022
Expedition leader Chen Lixin from Live Science had this to say:
‘I wouldn’t be surprised to know that there are species found in these caves that have never been reported or described by science until now.’
He also mentioned that there were found to be trees over 130 feet tall.
The executIve director of the National Cave and Karst Research Institute, George Veni, explained to Life Science the differences in geology that mean karst like climate and other factors. Sinkholes are often the result of a terrain that has dissolved bedrocks which can differ based on location.
‘In China you have this incredibly visually spectacular karst with enormous sinkholes and giant cave entrances and so forth.
’In other parts of the world you walk out on the karst and you really don’t notice anything. Sinkholes might be quite subdued, only a meter or two in diameter.
‘Cave entrances might be very small, so you have to squeeze your way into them.’
A cave exploration team discovered a giant sinkhole in southern China, bringing the number of such sinkholes in the county to 30. pic.twitter.com/a4IVFogIG9
— South China Morning Post (@SCMPNews) May 11, 2022
Although the discovery was jaw-dropping he was not surprised at it. Because of China’s vast karst topography, is it prone to otherworldly caves and sinkholes. The process of dissolving the karst in the bedrock is due to the acidic rainwater.
Carbon dioxide is picked up as it goes through the soil, making it acidic. It this trickles through the cracks of the bedrock which makes them hollow enough to create voids and tunnels.
As above, so below? China finds ancient forest underneath mountain! https://t.co/S4KP2pbaRt
— Cynthia McKinney PhD (@cynthiamckinney) May 13, 2022
The ceiling event collapses once the sinkhole is large enough.
While this would be the 30th sinkhole found, China now has the largest sinkhole in the region.
There is a sinkhole in Xiaozhai Tiankeng, that is 2,000 feet long, 2,100 feet deep, and 1,760 wide that has a waterfall. It is truly a fantasy come true.
Check out why it’s a crucial time to be in nature.
