Son Doong Cave Discovery: 8 Interesting Facts

If you are a travel lover, you love to experience the feeling of discovering the majestic caves and mountains of nature, Surely you have heard the name Son Doong. Located in the country known as the Asian tourist paradise, Vietnam. Son Doong is the largest natural cave in the world. When it was discovered in 2009 it caused a huge stir in the tourism sector. Although there has been a lot of research and exploration in Son Doong, it still has a lot of interesting things that you may not know. In “Son Doong Cave Discovery: 8 Interesting Facts”, Newlifez.com will bring you some exciting information about Son Doong that may overwhelm you.
Let’s get started!

Introduce About Son Doong

The world’s largest cave was found in 1991 by a local man named Hồ Khanh, Son Doong, located in Son Trach, Bo Trach District, Quang Binh Province, Vietnam. It is located underneath another cave in Phong Nha-Ke Bang, yet the entry path is quite difficult to navigate. The exploration team stated that they had only traveled 6.5 kilometers along the cave due to the significant amount of swiftly flowing water inside Son Dong. It takes 6 hours for explorers to go along a 10-kilometer forest path from Truong Son Highway to the mouth of Son Dong cave.

Son Doong Cave Discovery
Son Doong Cave Discovery

8 Great Informations About Son Doong Cave Discovery

1. History of Son Doong Cave’s formation

The Son Doong Cave, also known as the ‘Mountain River Cave,’ is located in the Quang Binh province and is the world’s most significant cave route. The cave was discovered in the tropical karst of the Ke Bang massif between 380 million and 280 million years ago. Rocks broke throughout time, allowing water to enter and, depending on the topography, form valleys, tunnels, wells, karst pits, and underground dry caves. The Ke Bang region receives a lot of rain, and a lot of it ends up in underground caverns.

In the location, you can see the fringes formed visually by massive rock layers, similar to a mattress, and bordered by metamorphic and clastic sedimentary rocks.

Son Doon Cave originated between two and five million years ago. An allogenic river that dropped alongside an aligned sub-vertical fault created the cave. The brecciated fault zone is broad where the cave forms. The karst valley represents the creation of the cave as a result of the Speleogenesis process.

The water eroded the limestone, forming the tunnel. The soft limestone portions were punctuated by two crumbled dolines.

Scientists believe that the Ke Bang massif grew gradually over millions of years with just a modestly big discharge. Because of the strength of the rock, the cave has been preserved. The channels produced in the Son Doong Cave are enormous due to the cave’s sluggish construction.

In 1991, a native named Ho Khanh discovered ‘The Son Doong Cave.’

In 2009-2010, a team of British Cave Research Association scientists and explorers based on Ho Khanh’s famous finding located the Son Doong Cave with his assistance.

The cave was opened to the public in 2013.

2. The Rain Made Son Doong Found

The Rain Made Son Doong Found

Mr. Ho Khanh discovered Son Doong in 1991 while searching for agarwood in the forest. Mr. Khanh was caught in a sudden thunderstorm at the moment, and while looking for a spot to shelter from the rain, he unintentionally discovered a cave arch. Khanh intended to enter it to seek cover from the rain, but as he arrived, he saw a strong breeze blowing continuously from inside the cave.

Mr. Khanh, not knowing it was a natural phenomenon, immediately thought of the legend of the streamers living in the cave that was blowing wind out. Fearful of “creeping hair,” Mr. Khanh did not dare to enter the cave anymore and instead nestled by the cliff, waiting for the rain to stop and continue.

“It was the first time I arrived at the door of Son Doong cave, and after that, because my life was so difficult, I forgot about it,” Mr. Ho Khanh explained. Mr. Ho Khanh had no idea of the value of Son Doong cave when he discovered it. Shortly after the journey, he resigned from his job looking for agarwood and returned to farming. The location of the cave remained unknown for the next 15 years.

3. Not Found On Google Earth

The 3rt interesting fact about the Son Doong cave discovery is that it does not display on Google Earth.

Mr. Khanh shared his narrative to inform the Royal Society of England team that came to hunt for a new cave in Phong Nha – Ke Bang in 2007. That is when the search for the old cave begins. Anh Khanh also led a two-day excursion to find Son Doong cave but was unsuccessful.

Mr. Howard Limbert himself said during that tour, while studying natural phenomena in the surrounding area, that Khanh must have recently had a massive cave. Even with superior scientific equipment and Google Earth software, the team was unable to locate Son Doong cave. Mr. Ho Khanh did not formally rediscover the old cave until 2009.

4. Son Doong Cave’s Area Can Be Equal To An Airport

Do you believe this? but this is the 4th truth in the Son Doong cave discovery. According to experts, Son Doong cave was formed 2-5 million years ago when river water flowed across the limestone area and was buried along a fault line. The water corroded the food, forming the giant tunnel we see today.

Hang Son Doong has a length of at least 5 km, equivalent to the capacity of about 68 Boeing 777 aircraft by a standard airport of a large city. According to scientists, this number could be even higher, from now on. Today, most of the caves remain unexplored.

5. Great Wall Of Vietnam

Great Wall Of Vietnam

Regarding the Son Doong cave discovery, scientists have found that Son Doong is not only impressed by its capacity but also amazes us with the length of the cave.

Experts uncovered really large places in the Son Doong cave. Photographer Carten Peter captured a cave with a width of 91.44m and a height arch of about 243.84m in May 2010 – “packs” a 40-story building in New York. According to National Geographic, that cave is as tall as stacking 25 double-decker buses.

The magnificence and grandeur of Son Doong cave’s scenery have earned it the title “The Great Wall of Vietnam” (roughly translated as “Great Wall of Vietnam”), just as “The Great Wall” of China “is the Great Wall of China.”

6. Garden of Eden In Asia

Son Doong cave is remarkable not just for its enormous size, but also for its diversified environment. The searchers uncovered a huge primeval forest with lush vegetation in Son Doong cave, with no evidence of humans. In celebration of this unusual beauty, experts have even dubbed the woodland within this cave a “Garden of Eden.”

During their journey, explorers also discovered animals within this vast underground complex. There are two types of creatures discovered underground. One type of animal lives in the darkness of the cave corridors, while the others live in the forested areas surrounding the fallen cave roof.

Life has flourished within the huge span of the cave’s fallen roof section. Many animals and flora found in the surrounding woodlands can also be discovered in the open corridors of the cavern. Birds, monkeys, snakes, flying foxes, rats, and squirrels are among these animals. Because exploratory activities are restricted, there is little record of life underneath.

The darkness at Son Doong cave is breathtaking, and it is home to albino animals that have evolved to survive without light. Because eyes in the dark are useless, many animals in this dark environment are blind or have impaired vision. In this setting, no colorants are needed.

7. Unique Climate Of Son Doong

Unique Climate Of Son Doong

the seventh fact you will find in the Son Doong cave discovery is the different climates of Son Doong. One of the unique features of Son Doong is its climatic conditions that create a diverse ecosystem. You cannot find this uniqueness anywhere on earth. Vietnam’s climate is tropical monsoon, but in Son Doong cave, you will feel the temperate climate and a bit of humidity combined with the air circulation in the cave. It will bring you comfort and relaxation

8. Giant pearls

In the Son Doong cave discovery journey, you’ll a massive cave stalactite system and a “pearl” system. Son Doong has stalagmite columns as tall as 70m that have formed over millions of years as a result of external forces.

Furthermore, at Son Doong, the world’s cave “pearls” (jade jelly encased a type of sea-like pearl of the sea, formed preeminent of calcite) were discovered. These pearls typically have a diameter of around 1cm, but in Son Doong, they are as large as a baseball.

Conclusion

It can be said that Son Doong is a great natural work that nature bestows on humans. Although found quite early, the beauty and mysteries of Son Doong cave have not been discovered yet. Hopefully, through the article “Son Doong Cave Discovery: 8 Interesting Facts “, you will have more interesting information about one of the largest caves in the world. Besides, we also hope to give you a great suggestion about a beautiful tourist destination for your vacation.

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