Friars Hole Cave System

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Friars Hole Cave System
Map showing the location of Friars Hole Cave System
Map showing the location of Friars Hole Cave System
Friars Hole Cave System
Location in West Virginia
LocationWest Virginia
Coordinates38°04′02″N 80°19′47″W / 38.067203°N 80.329775°W / 38.067203; -80.329775 (Friars Hole Cave)
Depth186.8 m (613 ft)
Length77.4 km (48.1 mi)[1]
Discovery1950
GeologyLimestone
Entrances8

Friars Hole Cave System is a cave located in Greenbrier county and Pocahontas county, West Virginia.[2]

The cave has been surveyed since the 1960s.[3] , , , and are all parts of the Friars Hole Cave system.[4]

The cave system is considered one of the longest caves in the United States and the World.

Description[]

Length[]

The cave is said to be 63 km,[4] 73.4 km,[2] 72 km,[5] to 77.4 km long.[6]

The West Virginia Encyclopedia says that 44 miles of the cave have been surveyed. The West Virginia Encyclopedia also says it is the longest cave in the state of West Virginia, the 6th longest cave in the United States, and the 17th longest cave in the world.[7]

While says it is the 31st longest cave in the world in 2017.[8]

Entrances[]

The cave has ten entrances, five of which are closed:[9] Friars Hole, Rubber Chicken, Crookshank Pit, Toothpick, Snedegars caves entrances (Snedegars Staircase, Snedegars Saltpeter, Snedegars Stream, Snedegars North), Canadian Hole, Radio Pit[7][10]

Geology[]

The cave formed in the Mississippian Greenbrier group. The oldest passage to the cave is said to 4.1 million years old.[11] The characteristics of the cave were formed by streams sinking down into the ground.[12]

The minor structures in the cave where influenced by thrust faults.[13]

References[]

  1. ^ Gulden, Bob (2021-10-04). "USA Longest Caves". Retrieved 17 October 2021.
  2. ^ a b Medville, Douglas M.; Worthington, Stephen R.H. (2018), White, William B. (ed.), "The Friars Hole System", Caves and Karst of the Greenbrier Valley in West Virginia, Cave and Karst Systems of the World, Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 135–152, doi:10.1007/978-3-319-65801-8_8, ISBN 978-3-319-65801-8, retrieved 2021-09-25
  3. ^ White, William B. (2017-11-20). Caves and Karst of the Greenbrier Valley in West Virginia. Springer. p. 152. ISBN 978-3-319-65801-8.
  4. ^ a b Harmon, Russell S.; Wicks, Carol M.; Ford, Derek C.; White, William Blaine (2006-01-01). Perspectives on Karst Geomorphology, Hydrology, and Geochemistry: A Tribute Volume to Derek C. Ford and William B. White. Geological Society of America. p. 24. ISBN 978-0-8137-2404-1.
  5. ^ Gunn, John (2004). Encyclopedia of Caves and Karst Science. Taylor & Francis. p. 143. ISBN 978-1-57958-399-6.
  6. ^ Bob Gulden (October 4, 2021). "Worlds longest caves". Geo2 Committee on Long and Deep Caves. National Speleological Society (NSS). Retrieved 2021-10-17.
  7. ^ a b Jones, William (28 February 2011). "Friars Hole Cave". The West Virginia Encyclopedia. Retrieved 25 September 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. ^ White, William B. (2017-11-20). Caves and Karst of the Greenbrier Valley in West Virginia. Springer. p. 6. ISBN 978-3-319-65801-8.
  9. ^ "Closed Cave List - National Speleological Society". National Speleological Society. 2021-07-25.
  10. ^ White, William B.; Culver, David C.; Pipan, Tanja (2019-05-10). Encyclopedia of Caves. Academic Press. pp. 334–337. ISBN 978-0-12-814125-0.
  11. ^ White, William B.; Culver, David C.; Pipan, Tanja (2019-05-10). Encyclopedia of Caves. Academic Press. pp. 446–449. ISBN 978-0-12-814125-0.
  12. ^ Gunn, John (2004). Encyclopedia of Caves and Karst Science. Taylor & Francis. p. 145. ISBN 978-1-57958-399-6.
  13. ^ White, William B.; Culver, David C.; Pipan, Tanja (2019-05-10). Encyclopedia of Caves. Academic Press. p. 444. ISBN 978-0-12-814125-0.

External links[]

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