Haitón del Guarataro
The Haitón del Guarataro is a solutional cave system in the Sierra de San Luis in Falcón State, Venezuela, 2.5 kilometres (1.6 mi) south-east of Curimagua. It is the deepest limestone cave in Venezuela,[1] and the entrance is a tourist attraction within the Juan Crisóstomo Falcón National Park.[2] A large entrance shaft 12 metres (39 ft) in diameter leads via drops of 168 metres (551 ft), 55 metres (180 ft), and 19 metres (62 ft) to a stream passage which eventually chokes. It has a depth of 305 metres (1,001 ft), and a total passage length of 640 metres (2,100 ft). It was first explored and surveyed in April 1973 by members of the Venezuela '73 British Karst Research Expedition.[3] It is formed in Oligocene reefal limestone.[4]
Haitón del Guarataro | |
---|---|
![]() Entrance shaft of Haitón del Guarataro | |
![]() ![]() Location of Haitón del Guarataro within Venezuela | |
Location | Falcón State, Venezuela |
Coordinates | 11°08′59″N 69°41′23″W |
Depth | 305 metres (1,001 ft) |
Length | 640 metres (2,100 ft) |
Elevation | 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) |
Discovery | April 1973 |
Geology | Oligocene limestone |
Entrances | 1 |
Hazards | Verticality |
Cave survey | BKRE 1973 |
References
- Herrera, Francisco; et al. (2006). "Sociedad Venezolana de Espeleología 2007". Boletín de la Sociedad Venezolana de Espeleología. 40: 5–11. Archived from the original on 6 November 2014. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
- Kohn, Beth (2007). Lonely Planet Venezuela. Lonely Planet. p. 154. ISBN 9781741045451. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
- Chapman, Phil; Checkley, Dave (March 1981). "Caves of the Serrania de San Luis, Edo Falcon: The British Karst Research Expedition to Venezuela, 1973" (PDF). Transactions of the British Cave Research Association. 8 (1): 1–26. Retrieved 24 December 2013.
- Gunn, John, ed. (2004). Encyclopedia of Caves and Karst Science. London: Fitzroy Dearborn. p. 110. ISBN 978-1579583996.
External links
![](../I/m/Haiton_del_Guarataro_underground_camp.jpg)
Camping on a ledge at -223 metres during the 1973 explorations
![]() |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Haitón del Guarataro. |
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.