There are many different types of caves. Today, the focus will be on The Jewel Cave.
Beneath the Black Hills of South Dakota lies the fascinating underground world of Jewel Cave. The view delights, perplexes, and lures you to want to further explore. The chamber's decorated with glittering calcite crystals and a variety of beautiful, colorful, and rare formations. The vast and intricate maze-like network of passages make Jewel Cave world famous.
Jewel Cave is now known to be the third-longest cave system in the world, with more than 125 miles (200 km) of explored passages. Guided tours are offered in the main visitor area.
The caverns consist of a series of chambers joined by narrow passages. They are noted for their jewel-like calcite crystals, including nailhead and dogtooth spar, which are found throughout the cave. When illuminated, these incrustations sparkle like gems. Stalactites, stalagmites, flowstone, draperies, frostwork, and other limestone formations also are present in the cave. The caves are home to nine species of bats, five of which are permanent residents. Elk, white-tailed deer, coyotes, and birds inhabit the ponderosa pine forest that covers the surface.
Exploration of Jewel Cave began about 1900 when Frank and Albert Michaud, South Dakota prospectors, and their friend Charles Bush heard wind rushing through a hole in rocks in Hell Canyon. Enlarging the hole they found a cave full of sparkling crystals. They filed a mining claim on the "Jewel Lode" but found no valuable minerals. Instead they tried turning the cave into a tourist attraction. The business was not a success, but the cave attracted attention, and Jewel Cave National Monument was proclaimed as part of the National Park System in 1908 to protect the small but extraordinarily beautiful cave.
Fifty years later exploration of the cave intensified. Led by the work of husband and wife team Herb and Jan Conn, modern cavers have discovered new wonders and explored more and more miles of passages. Today, the cave is among the world's longest and is renowned for its variety of formations.
The physical and mental challenges of cave exploration address a deep-seated human desire to venture beyond the known into the frontier. Exploring cave passages where no one has ever been before is certainly exciting, and it also provides information essential for managing both cave and surface resources.
Those wishing to participate in the exploration of Jewel Cave must have prior caving experience, possess a strong cave conservation ethic, be able to fit through tight spaces, and have the endurance for long caving trips.
The elevation range of Jewel Cave spans 832 feet. This is its official "depth." The highest point in the cave is 5,410 feet above sea level, and the lowest point is at 4,578 feet.
The cave's depth below the surface varies greatly, due to the thickness of overlying rock layers and characteristics of the surface topography. The cave intersects the surface in Hell Canyon, at the only natural entrance. The deepest point in the cave is 749 feet below the surface.
References:
Jewel Cave National Monument
Jewel Cave Exploration
Jewel Cave History
Jewel Cave Explore Parks
