Caves and Caverns Trivia

1. The sheer beauty of Fingal's Cave has inspired works by composer Felix Mendelssohn, artist J. M. W. Turner and rock band Wolfstone. On which Scottish island is Fingal's Cave?

From Quiz Cave Rave

Answer: Staffa

Staffa covers 33 hectares (82 acres) and is an uninhabited island, part of the Inner Hebrides, which also includes Skye, Islay and Mull. Fingal's Cave is at the southern end of the island and is constructed of hexagonally jointed basalt columns, similar to the Giant's Causeway of Northern Ireland. It was named Fingal's Cave in a 1761 work by poet James Macpherson, and the name Fingal is believed to be derived from the Irish mythological character Fionn mac Cumhaill (Finn McCool). The cave is well known for its acoustic qualities as well as its stunning beauty, and it is these qualities which inspired "The Hebrides, Op. 26" (1830), also known as "Fingal's Cave Overture" by Mendelssohn and "Fingal's Cave" (1999) from Wolfstone. Artist J. M. W. Turner painted the cave in 1832 and the result, "Staffa, Fingal's Cave" became the first painting by Turner to be sent to America when it was purchased by Colonel James Lenox in 1845, for the sum of £500.

From Quiz 10 Caves You Just Have To Spelunk

Answer: high temperatures

These fantastic caves maintain a temperature of 136 degrees! Crystals cover the floors, wall, and ceilings. This is a cave that can be explored only by the most experienced spelunker. Even with proper gear, visitors entering this Mexican cave last less than 15 minutes--to stay any longer would mean certain death.

From Quiz The Cavern Club

Answer: Hungary

Around 262 caves are registered in the Aggtelek National Park.

From Quiz Cave Rave

Answer: Lascaux

Lascaux was discovered when Marcel Ravidat was out walking his dog, Robot. Robot fell into a hole and Ravidat, unable to rescue him alone, sought assistance from three friends. The boys entered through a 15-metre-deep (50-foot) shaft, and discovered the cave system, with many prehistoric cave paintings, over 17,000 years old, decorating its walls and ceilings. Due to German forces occupying the area on Dordogne where the caves are located, they were kept something of a secret and not opened to the public until 1948, which gave local archaeologists and historians plenty of time to document every detail of the caves. Unfortunately opening the caves to the public proved costly as over 1,000 people a day would visit and the changes in the heat and humidity of the caves caused by so many visitors led to fungi and lichen infesting the walls. In 1963, in order to try and preserve as many of the paintings as possible, the caves were closed to the public, but thanks to the detailed work carried out by the early archaeologists, full scale replicas of Lascaux have been made. The humidity of the caves now that they are uncovered is a constant problem, with outbreaks of mould occurring regularly. In 2003, an infestation of white mould was present and in 2007 the problem was grey mould. An outbreak of black mould in 2008 meant the cave was closed even to scientist for three months. In 2018 a new species of fungus was discovered in the caves and was named Ochroconis lascauxensis, to mark the site of its discovery. While I remember, if you were concerned about Marcel Ravidat's dog, it was reported that Robot was safely rescued and suffered no lasting harm.

From Quiz 10 Caves You Just Have To Spelunk

Answer: Ethiopia

The Sof Omar caves can be found in Ethiopia. The caves have been considered an underground religious center for centuries. These caverns were formed by the Web River. The river disappears into a huge underground paradise with arched portals, vast, eroded ceilings, and deep, vaulted echoing chambers. This vast cave system can be explored safely by novices and has a variety of formations.

From Quiz The Cavern Club

Answer: Santander

The Altamira Cave is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and access to the original cave is very restricted, there is however a replica, that tourists can visit.

From Quiz Cave Rave

Answer: Carlsbad Cavern

While many cave systems have an area called the Big Room, only Carlsbad Cavern, in Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico has the Talcum Passage and Chocolate High as well. Carlsbad Cavern was first documented by teenager Jim White in 1898, who discovered the cavern entrance after seeing a huge number of bats, and realising that the cave they came from must be of an impressive size. White named many of the rooms in the cavern while carrying out his initial explorations and these names are still used today, such as Green Lake Room, New Mexico Room, Queens Chamber, Papoose Room, and Big Room, which is the largest chamber in North America at 1,220 metres (4,000 feet) long, 191 metres (625 feet) wide, and 78 metres (255 feet) high at its highest point. Carlsbad Cavern is one of the few cave systems with an elevator installed to transport visitors below ground, although the annual average visitor numbers of 410,000 is dwarfed by the bat population which is estimated to be almost 800,000.

From Quiz C ool A dventures V isually E nhanced

Answer: Mountain River Cave

In 2009, cavers from Britain and Vietnam hiked six hours through the Vietnamese jungle to find the Mountain River Cave (Hang Son Doong). A jungle man had found the cave in 1991, but no one had been in it since then due to the sounds coming from it. The wind and underground river made a horrific noise. There were actually two underground rivers for the team to navigate before they came to a chamber that may be almost twice the size of the former holder of the title of 'largest' - Deer Cave in the Malaysian section of Borneo. The team used lasers to measure the room. It is 262 feet by 262 feet in most places but some places are 460 feet by 460 feet and may end up even larger as one end is blocked by a wall of calcite that they may be able to get over. Deer Cave is 300 feet by 300 feet but only about a mile long. The cavers at Mountain River walked over 2.8 miles before they had to turn back.

From Quiz 10 Caves You Just Have To Spelunk

Answer: a restaurant

The surprising answer is a restaurant! Spelunking no longer occurs as most of the cavern has been closed off. Special permission must be given by the owner to explore the areas not open to the public. This would be a nice place to dine in, just for its atmosphere alone. When you enter a cavern, you never know what you will find!

From Quiz The Cavern Club

Answer: Capri, Italy

The Blue Grotto, known locally as Gradola, is a truly magical sight. Sunlight passing through an underwater cavity turns the water an iridescent blue, that bathes the cavern in blue light.

From Quiz Cave Rave

Answer: Peak Cavern

Peak Cavern was known since at least 1585 as the Devil's Arse, with the name being changed only in 1880 so as not to offend the sensibilities of Queen Victoria, who was visiting. In recent times the older name is being used more, and it is believed that it was originally given this name due to draining flood water in the cavern sounding like severe flatulence. The entrance to the cavern is the largest cave entrance in Britain and until 1915, was home to possibly the last troglodytes, or cave dwellers in Britain, who made their living by making rope. Aside from Jarvis Cocker, the cavern has been used for several other concerts as well as movie screenings and in 1989, the BBC filmed some of "The Chronicles of Narnia" (1988-90) down here.

From Quiz 10 Caves You Just Have To Spelunk

Answer: deepest cave

This mammoth cave is the only cave on the planet that is over 2,000 meters deep. In 2004, it was explored to a depth of 6,824 ft. Its name means Crow's Cave in native dialect, due to the large flocks of crows that nest at its single entrance. It has an extremely steep profile and exploring it is only done by those with a lot of experience.

From Quiz The Cavern Club

Answer: 'Fingals Cave'

Mendelssohn was said to be so awestruck by the rugged coastline of the Island of Staffa, and Fingals Cave in particular that he wrote the overture.

From Quiz Cave Rave

Answer: Grotta Azzurra

Grotta Azzurra, also known as the Blue Grotto, is one of the best known caves in the world for sheer beauty. I really don't think it is possible to take a bad photograph here. Entrance to the grotto isn't easy, and involves laying on the floor of a small rowing boat, while the oarsman guides the boat by way of a metal chain attached to the cave walls, but once inside the view is simply stunning. as everything is bathed in an indescribable blue light. In "The Innocents Abroad" (1869), Mark Twain described Grotta Azzurra as "the brightest, loveliest blue that can be imagined" and "No tint could be more ravishing, no lustre more superb". Tiberius was one lucky guy.

From Quiz 10 Caves You Just Have To Spelunk

Answer: The Blue Grotto

The Blue Grotto is a beautiful sea cave that is illuminated by vibrant blue light reflected from the sun. Originally called Gradola, for years it was avoided by the locals who believed it was haunted by evil entities. It is a single room sea cave and spelunking skills and/or equipment are not needed.

From Quiz Cave Rave

Answer: Glowworms

Maori chief Tane Tinorau and his wife Huti first opened Waitomo Caves to the public in 1889, charging a small sum for guided tours. In the first two years, they led about 500 visitors and the popularity of the caves has continued to grow ever since, required a hotel to be built in 1910 to house the influx of tourists. Guided tours of the caves conclude with a boat trip, underneath the thousands of glowworms who provide the only light on this portion of the tour, making this an unforgettable experience. The glowworms and their welfare is closely monitored by a scientific advisory group, who run regular checks on air and rock temperature, humidity and carbon dioxide levels, and, depending on these levels, also have the final say on how many visitors are allowed into the caves each day. What has also put Waitomo Caves on the map is their Black Water Rafting experiences, where visitors can book adventure excursions lasting between three and seven hours. These adventures involve an inner tube for rafting and, depending on the tour, can also involve swimming, abseiling, waterfall climbs and jumps as well as tight squeezes.

From Quiz 10 Caves You Just Have To Spelunk

Answer: calcium carbonate

The deposition of calcium carbonate by drops of mineralized water over thousands and millions of years is what forms stalactites. One way to remember the difference between stalactites and stalagmites is that stalactites hang tight to the ceiling! Postojna Grotto has beautiful and unique formations in pristine condition. It has so many types of formations and difficulty levels that all spelunkers will find this cave exciting. It is also the largest cavern in Europe!

From Quiz The Cavern Club

Answer: Mogao Caves

An important Buddhist site, the caves have been looted over the years. They have been replicated in Florida.

From Quiz Cave Rave

Answer: Train

Postojna Cave, which opened to the public in 1819, certainly can't be accused of lagging behind when it comes to technology as the caves had electric lighting in 1884, before even the city of Ljubljana. A further claim to fame happened in 1899 when the caves became the site of the world's first underground post office. In 1872, rails were laid in the caves and visitors in their train carriages were pushed along by the guides before a gasoline powered train was added to pull the carriages in the early part of the 20th century. In 1956, these gas locomotives were replaced with electric ones, and Postojna became the first cave in the world to operate a double-track cave railway in 1964. Postojna Cave is home to an amazing five metre high bright white stalagmite, quite aptly called Brilliant, as well as a healthy population of the largest troglodytic amphibian in the world, the olm, which were once thought to be baby dragons as they look so unusual.

From Quiz C ool A dventures V isually E nhanced

Answer: underground waterfall in Tennessee

Ruby Falls is located in Lookout Mountain, near Rock City, which is near Chattanooga, Tennessee. From Lookout Mountain, you can see Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Kentucky and Virginia. Inside Lookout Mountain is a 145 foot high waterfall. A natural spring and rainwater feed the stream that makes the falls which is 1120 feet underground. Ruby Falls was not accessible until 1928 when a man purchased part of Lookout Mountain to drill into for an elevator to take tourists to the top of the mountain. During the construction in Lookout Mountain Cave, he found a small opening leading to another previously unseen cave (Ruby Falls Cave). He brought his wife, Ruby, to see the cave and falls and named them after her.

From Quiz 10 Caves You Just Have To Spelunk

Answer: it formed over a real skeleton

The Crystal Maiden is a real skeleton that has been crytallized by the natural forces in cave formations. Access to this cave is made by wading across a large pool of water and then climbing into the cave entrance. The cave was found with other artifacts that lead scientists to believe that this cave was used for religious ritual sacrifices. This cave has an eerie aura and only those with experience should explore it.

From Quiz Cave Rave

Answer: Vietnam

Hang Son Doong is located near the Vietnamese border with Laos and amazingly, considering the size of it, wasn't discovered until 1991 and wasn't fully explored until 2009. The cave is an incredible 5 kilometres (3.1 miles) long, 200 metres (660 feet) high and 150 metres (490 feet) wide, large enough for a Boeing 747 "Jumbo Jet" to comfortably pass through. Highlights once inside the cave include a fast flowing river, some of the tallest known stalagmites ever discovered, with some reaching a height of 70 metres (230 feet), and an abundance of calcite "cave pearls". These "cave pearls" are usually quite small, being less than a centimetre (0.39 in) wide, but in Hang Son Doong, there are "cave pearls" the size of baseballs. 2013 saw the first tourists allowed into the cave and visitor numbers are strictly controlled by a permit system in order to prevent damage to the cave.

From Quiz 10 Caves You Just Have To Spelunk

Answer: they change in size

The Kunger Ice Cave has many unusual features, including snowflakes that change in size with the seasons. Some grow as large as a grapefruit! It also has many grottos and a lake inside that is fed by the Sylva river. Many who decide to explore these caves become very dizzy when they enter due to the very high oxygen levels inside the cave. Any visit here would be a spelunker's fantasy!

From Quiz The Cavern Club

Answer: Montignac

Two of the original cave's galleries have been reproduced in great detail. The Great Hall of the Bulls and the Painted Gallery.

From Quiz Cave Rave

Answer: Chile and Argentina

The lake which separates the two countries is known as Lake Buenos Aires on the Argentine side and General Carrera Lake on the Chilean side, which is the side from which the Marble Caves are accessible. The only way to reach the caves is by boat, but the journey is more than worth it when you reach these stunning caves. They have been carved out by water melting from the nearby glaciers which has created intricate tunnel systems and caverns in a variety of colours. Due to the mineral content of the glacial water swirling patterns of blues, greens, blacks, and yellows can be seen, with no two formations being the same.

From Quiz 10 Caves You Just Have To Spelunk

Answer: pink

Dolomite gives the many and varied formations in these caves a lovely pink color. The caves were discovered by accident in 1917. Unlike many caves, those in Hastings are spacious and well-lit. Anyone can spelunk here! Formations that can be found here include flowstone, columns, shawls, straws, helictites, and tendrils of calcite that flow from all directions in tiny filaments.

From Quiz Cave Rave

Answer: Tham Luang Nang Non

I tried to make this slightly easier by only including one Thai cave in the answers. Phnom Aural is the highest peak in Cambodia, Nam Ngum is a river in Laos and Nay Pyi Taw is the capital city of Myanmar, leaving Tham Luang as the infamous cave. Tham Luang is a 10.3 kilometre (6.4 mile) long cave system, reaching a depth of 446 metres (1,463 feet) and the football team were discovered in darkness over 4 kilometres (2.5 miles) from the cave entrance after nine days of searching. Their exit had been cut off by monsoon rains, and the threat of further rain hampered the rescue attempts, but finally after 18 days underground, all of the boys were evacuated unharmed. The rescue effort comprised a global task force of over 10,000 people, ten helicopters, seven ambulances, over 700 diving cylinders and the pumping of over a billion litres of water from the caves. This incredibly brave rescue mission involved specialists and volunteers from 25 different countries and sadly was responsible for two deaths. Saman Kunan, a volunteer and ex Thai navy diver was placing diving cylinders along the exit route and lost consciousness and died due to oxygen levels falling to 15% and Thai Navy SEAL Beirut Pakbara contracted a blood infection during the rescue. Unfortunately this blood infection resulted in his death in December 2019, almost a year and a half after the rescue. Both men should be remembered as heroes.

From Quiz 10 Caves You Just Have To Spelunk

Answer: Kentucky

Kentucky is home to Mammoth Cave National Park, the longest cave system in the world! In 2009, over 365 miles of passageways that had been explored. Every year this figure grows as spelunkers from around the world swarm here to be the first to find a new grotto, formation, or passage. It is truly one of the world's natural wonders! It has areas for all levels of experience to explore.

From Quiz The Cavern Club

Answer: Iceland

The Singing Cave is a lava cave where the echoes of visitors singing in it, over the years have given it the title.

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