Скачать или смотреть How Water Flowed Uphill To Form World's Biggest Ice Cave

New research has revealed how water once flowed 460 feet (140 meters) uphill to form the "world's largest ice cave" in Austria, which is estimated to be between five and 10 million years old and has been dubbed the "World of the Ice Giants".

Eisriesenwelt, which means the "World of the Ice Giants" in German, is the world's largest ice cave and it is located in the market town of Werfen, which is about 25 miles (40 kilometers) south of the picturesque city of Salzburg, located in the Austrian Alps.

The Natural History Museum in Vienna released a statement on Nov. 8 saying that "a research team from the Natural History Museum Vienna and the University of Innsbruck examined the origin and direction of flow of water when the 26-mile (42-kilometer) cave systems" formed.

They said that their "results show that millions of years ago, water flowed upwards 140 metres" and that this was due to "pressure".

They added that the "age of the Eisriesenwelt can be given based on comparisons with other caves" and that it is believed to be between "five and 10 million years old".

The NHMV also said that a "research team from the Natural History Museum Vienna and the University of Innsbruck" has now studied the formation of the "entire, 42-kilometre-long cave in more detail".

It is open to the public, but only a small part at the beginning of the cave system is publicly accessible.

Dr Lukas Plan, a research associate at the NHMV, is quoted in the statement as saying: "You might think that water flows downhill.

"However, research has now shown that the cave system, known for its ice formations, was completely filled with water when it was formed and that it flowed up 140 metres under pressure in the ascending part that is open to visitors."

The NHMV also said: "Little was known about the origin and direction of flow of the water in the cave system of the Eisriesenwelt. In order to research this, spatial profiles and solution forms were examined. They show that the giant ice world was completely filled with water at the time of its creation. The so-called flow facets are of particular importance in deciphering the development conditions."

The statement explained that "these asymmetrical, shell-shaped depressions in the cave wall were formed by water eddies" (which are circular currents of water) and that these depressions "today provide information about the former direction and speed of flow".

Werfen, Austria
Eisriesenwelt

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