Show Navigation

Search Results

Refine Search
Match all words
Match any word
Prints
Personal Use
Royalty-Free
Rights-Managed
(leave unchecked to
search all images)
{ 324 images found }

Loading ()...

  • Stairs descend the Historic Entrance of Mammoth Cave, surrounded by trees with yellowing fall leaves. Mammoth Cave National Park was established in 1941 in Edmonson County, Kentucky, USA and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981 and international Biosphere Reserve in 1990. With over 390 miles (630 km) of passageways, the Mammoth-Flint Ridge Cave System is the longest known in the world. Mammoth Cave developed in thick Mississippian-aged limestone strata capped by a layer of Big Clifty Sandstone. Descending limestone layers include the Girkin Formation, Saint Genevieve Limestone, and Saint Louis Limestone. Panorama stitched from 6 overlapping photos.
    10MAM-112-117pan_Mammoth-Cave-KY.jpg
  • Stairs descend the Historic Entrance of Mammoth Cave, surrounded by trees with yellowing fall leaves. Mammoth Cave National Park was established in 1941 in Edmonson County, Kentucky, USA and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981 and international Biosphere Reserve in 1990. With over 390 miles (630 km) of passageways, the Mammoth-Flint Ridge Cave System is the longest known in the world. Mammoth Cave developed in thick Mississippian-aged limestone strata capped by a layer of Big Clifty Sandstone. Descending limestone layers include the Girkin Formation, Saint Genevieve Limestone, and Saint Louis Limestone. Panorama stitched from 8 overlapping photos.
    10MAM-103-110pan_Mammoth-Cave-KY.jpg
  • Stairs descend the Historic Entrance of Mammoth Cave, surrounded by trees with yellowing fall leaves. Mammoth Cave National Park was established in 1941 in Edmonson County, Kentucky, USA and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981 and international Biosphere Reserve in 1990. With over 390 miles (630 km) of passageways, the Mammoth-Flint Ridge Cave System is the longest known in the world. Mammoth Cave developed in thick Mississippian-aged limestone strata capped by a layer of Big Clifty Sandstone. Descending limestone layers include the Girkin Formation, Saint Genevieve Limestone, and Saint Louis Limestone. Panorama stitched from 4 overlapping photos.
    10MAM-078-81pan_Mammoth-Cave-KY.jpg
  • A cave cricket (Hadenoecus subterraneus) walks a cavern's stone ceiling. Mammoth Cave National Park was established in 1941 in Edmonson County, Kentucky, USA and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981 and international Biosphere Reserve in 1990. With over 390 miles (630 km) of passageways, the Mammoth-Flint Ridge Cave System is the longest known in the world. Mammoth Cave developed in thick Mississippian-aged limestone strata capped by a layer of Big Clifty Sandstone. Descending limestone layers include the Girkin Formation, Saint Genevieve Limestone, and Saint Louis Limestone.
    10MAM-071.jpg
  • A cave cricket (Hadenoecus subterraneus) walks a cavern's stone ceiling. Mammoth Cave National Park was established in 1941 in Edmonson County, Kentucky, USA and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981 and international Biosphere Reserve in 1990. With over 390 miles (630 km) of passageways, the Mammoth-Flint Ridge Cave System is the longest known in the world. Mammoth Cave developed in thick Mississippian-aged limestone strata capped by a layer of Big Clifty Sandstone. Descending limestone layers include the Girkin Formation, Saint Genevieve Limestone, and Saint Louis Limestone.
    10MAM-067.jpg
  • Stairs descend the Historic Entrance of Mammoth Cave, which drips with water and is surrounded by trees with yellowing fall leaves. Mammoth Cave National Park was established in 1941 in Edmonson County, Kentucky, USA and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981 and international Biosphere Reserve 1990. With over 390 miles (630 km) of passageways, the Mammoth-Flint Ridge Cave System is the longest known in the world. Mammoth Cave developed in thick Mississippian-aged limestone strata capped by a layer of Big Clifty Sandstone. Descending limestone layers include the Girkin Formation, Saint Genevieve Limestone, and Saint Louis Limestone.
    10MAM-092-p1.jpg
  • A couple climbs stairs of the Historic Entrance to Mammoth Cave which drips with water. Mammoth Cave National Park was established in 1941 in Edmonson County, Kentucky, USA and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981 and international Biosphere Reserve 1990. With over 390 miles (630 km) of passageways, the Mammoth-Flint Ridge Cave System is the longest known in the world. Mammoth Cave developed in thick Mississippian-aged limestone strata capped by a layer of Big Clifty Sandstone. Descending limestone layers include the Girkin Formation, Saint Genevieve Limestone, and Saint Louis Limestone.
    10MAM-090.jpg
  • Stairs descend the Historic Entrance of Mammoth Cave, which drips with water and is surrounded by trees with yellowing fall leaves. Mammoth Cave National Park was established in 1941 in Edmonson County, Kentucky, USA and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981 and international Biosphere Reserve in 1990. With over 390 miles (630 km) of passageways, the Mammoth-Flint Ridge Cave System is the longest known in the world. Mammoth Cave developed in thick Mississippian-aged limestone strata capped by a layer of Big Clifty Sandstone. Descending limestone layers include the Girkin Formation, Saint Genevieve Limestone, and Saint Louis Limestone.
    10MAM-102.jpg
  • Tourists ascend a stairway in Mammoth Cave National Park, which  was established in 1941 in Edmonson County, Kentucky, USA and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981 and international Biosphere Reserve 1990. With over 390 miles (630 km) of passageways, the Mammoth-Flint Ridge Cave System is the longest known in the world. Mammoth Cave developed in thick Mississippian-aged limestone strata capped by a layer of Big Clifty Sandstone. Descending limestone layers include the Girkin Formation, Saint Genevieve Limestone, and Saint Louis Limestone.
    10MAM-060.jpg
  • Stalagmites and stalactites form in Mammoth Cave National Park, which was established in 1941 in Edmonson County, Kentucky, USA and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981 and international Biosphere Reserve 1990. With over 390 miles (630 km) of passageways, the Mammoth-Flint Ridge Cave System is the longest known in the world. Mammoth Cave developed in thick Mississippian-aged limestone strata capped by a layer of Big Clifty Sandstone. Descending limestone layers include the Girkin Formation, Saint Genevieve Limestone, and Saint Louis Limestone.
    10MAM-056.jpg
  • Mammoth Cave National Park was established in 1941 in Edmonson County, Kentucky, USA and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981 and international Biosphere Reserve 1990. With over 390 miles (630 km) of passageways, the Mammoth-Flint Ridge Cave System is the longest known in the world. Mammoth Cave developed in thick Mississippian-aged limestone strata capped by a layer of Big Clifty Sandstone. Descending limestone layers include the Girkin Formation, Saint Genevieve Limestone, and Saint Louis Limestone.
    10MAM-019.jpg
  • A man stoops to enter Mammoth Cave. This National Park was established in 1941 in Edmonson County, Kentucky, USA and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981 and international Biosphere Reserve 1990. With over 390 miles (630 km) of passageways, the Mammoth-Flint Ridge Cave System is the longest known in the world. Mammoth Cave developed in thick Mississippian-aged limestone strata capped by a layer of Big Clifty Sandstone. Descending limestone layers include the Girkin Formation, Saint Genevieve Limestone, and Saint Louis Limestone.
    10MAM-015.jpg
  • This funny vehicle patrols Mammoth Cave National Park, which was established in 1941 in Edmonson County, Kentucky, USA and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981 and international Biosphere Reserve in 1990. With over 390 miles (630 km) of passageways, the Mammoth-Flint Ridge Cave System is the longest known in the world. Mammoth Cave developed in thick Mississippian-aged limestone strata capped by a layer of Big Clifty Sandstone. Descending limestone layers include the Girkin Formation, Saint Genevieve Limestone, and Saint Louis Limestone.
    10MAM-075.jpg
  • Flowstone forms abstract shapes in Mammoth Cave National Park, which was established in 1941 in Edmonson County, Kentucky, USA and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981 and international Biosphere Reserve 1990. With over 390 miles (630 km) of passageways, the Mammoth-Flint Ridge Cave System is the longest known in the world. Mammoth Cave developed in thick Mississippian-aged limestone strata capped by a layer of Big Clifty Sandstone. Descending limestone layers include the Girkin Formation, Saint Genevieve Limestone, and Saint Louis Limestone.
    10MAM-062.jpg
  • Flowstone formations decorate Mammoth Cave National Park, which was established in 1941 in Edmonson County, Kentucky, USA and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981 and international Biosphere Reserve 1990. With over 390 miles (630 km) of passageways, the Mammoth-Flint Ridge Cave System is the longest known in the world. Mammoth Cave developed in thick Mississippian-aged limestone strata capped by a layer of Big Clifty Sandstone. Descending limestone layers include the Girkin Formation, Saint Genevieve Limestone, and Saint Louis Limestone.
    10MAM-049.jpg
  • Tourists file through Mammoth Cave National Park, which  was established in 1941 in Edmonson County, Kentucky, USA and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981 and international Biosphere Reserve 1990. With over 390 miles (630 km) of passageways, the Mammoth-Flint Ridge Cave System is the longest known in the world. Mammoth Cave developed in thick Mississippian-aged limestone strata capped by a layer of Big Clifty Sandstone. Descending limestone layers include the Girkin Formation, Saint Genevieve Limestone, and Saint Louis Limestone.
    10MAM-031.jpg
  • Mammoth Cave National Park was established in 1941 in Edmonson County, Kentucky, USA and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981 and international Biosphere Reserve 1990. With over 390 miles (630 km) of passageways, the Mammoth-Flint Ridge Cave System is the longest known in the world. Mammoth Cave developed in thick Mississippian-aged limestone strata capped by a layer of Big Clifty Sandstone. Descending limestone layers include the Girkin Formation, Saint Genevieve Limestone, and Saint Louis Limestone.
    10MAM-034.jpg
  • A ranger walks through Mammoth Cave National Park, which  was established in 1941 in Edmonson County, Kentucky, USA and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981 and international Biosphere Reserve 1990.
    10MAM-063.jpg
  • Sea stack rocks in the Pacific Ocean seen from a shallow sea cave, on the north side of the hiker's tunnel at Oceanside beach, Oregon, USA. Panorama stitched from 2 images.
    08ORC-504-505pan-Oceanside-Beach-sea...jpg
  • Mammoth Cave National Park was established in 1941 in Edmonson County, Kentucky, USA and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981 and international Biosphere Reserve 1990. With over 390 miles (630 km) of passageways, the Mammoth-Flint Ridge Cave System is the longest known in the world. Mammoth Cave developed in thick Mississippian-aged limestone strata capped by a layer of Big Clifty Sandstone. Descending limestone layers include the Girkin Formation, Saint Genevieve Limestone, and Saint Louis Limestone.
    10INDC-05.jpg
  • Mammoth Cave National Park was established in 1941 in Edmonson County, Kentucky, USA and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981 and international Biosphere Reserve 1990. With over 390 miles (630 km) of passageways, the Mammoth-Flint Ridge Cave System is the longest known in the world. Mammoth Cave developed in thick Mississippian-aged limestone strata capped by a layer of Big Clifty Sandstone. Descending limestone layers include the Girkin Formation, Saint Genevieve Limestone, and Saint Louis Limestone.
    10MAM-003.jpg
  • Leaves turn bright yellow and orange in late October at the main campground in Mammoth Cave National Park in Edmonson County, Kentucky, USA.
    10MAM-155.jpg
  • White fungus, green algae, and moss grow on a tree in Mammoth Cave National Park, in Edmonson County, Kentucky, USA.
    10MAM-136.jpg
  • White fungus, green algae, and moss grow on a tree in Mammoth Cave National Park, in Edmonson County, Kentucky, USA.
    10MAM-131.jpg
  • A car drives Flint Ridge Road through a tunnel of orange, yellow, and green fall leaves in Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky, USA.
    10MAM-123.jpg
  • A paved walkway descends through hardwood forest. Mammoth Cave National Park was established in 1941 in Edmonson County, Kentucky, USA and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981 and international Biosphere Reserve in 1990.
    10MAM-076.jpg
  • Wild turkey at Mammoth Cave National Park in Edmonson County, Kentucky, USA.
    10MAM-002.jpg
  • Leaves turn bright yellow and orange in late October at the main campground in Mammoth Cave National Park in Edmonson County, Kentucky, USA.
    10MAM-160.jpg
  • White fungus, green algae, and moss grow on a tree in Mammoth Cave National Park, in Edmonson County, Kentucky, USA.
    10MAM-146.jpg
  • Stalactites drip from the cave ceiling and deposit stalagmites on the floor, forming columns when they meet. Luray Caverns, originally called Luray Cave, is a large commercial cave just west of Luray, Virginia, USA. Discovered in 1878, the Caverns are in the Shenandoah Valley just east of the Allegheny Range of the Appalachian Mountains. The underground cavern system is generously adorned with speleothems (columns, mud flows, stalactites, stalagmites, flowstone, mirrored pools, etc). The caverns are celebrated for performances of the Great Stalacpipe Organ, a lithophone made from solenoid fired strikers that tap stalactites of various sizes to produce tones similar to those of xylophones, tuning forks, or bells.
    08VA-1053_Luray-Caverns_Virginia.jpg
  • The Wishing Well glows blue-green at Luray Caverns, originally called Luray Cave, which is a large commercial cave just west of Luray, Virginia, USA. Discovered in 1878, the Caverns are in the Shenandoah Valley just east of the Allegheny Range of the Appalachian Mountains. The underground cavern system is generously adorned with speleothems (columns, mud flows, stalactites, stalagmites, flowstone, mirrored pools, etc).
    08VA-1065_Luray-Caverns_Virginia.jpg
  • Luray Caverns are celebrated for performances of the Great Stalacpipe Organ (dedicated 1957), a lithophone made from solenoid fired strikers that tap stalactites of various sizes to produce tones similar to those of xylophones, tuning forks, or bells. Luray Caverns, originally called Luray Cave, is a large commercial cave just west of Luray, Virginia, USA. Discovered in 1878, the Caverns are in the Shenandoah Valley just east of the Allegheny Range of the Appalachian Mountains. The underground cavern system is generously adorned with speleothems (columns, mud flows, stalactites, stalagmites, flowstone, mirrored pools, etc).
    08VA-1059_Luray-Caverns_Virginia.jpg
  • SARACEN'S TENT: Appearing as smooth and flowing as a curtain folded by hand, this formation is one of the most perfectly formed stone drapery structures in the world. Luray Caverns, originally called Luray Cave, is a large commercial cave just west of Luray, Virginia, USA. Discovered in 1878, the Caverns are in the Shenandoah Valley just east of the Allegheny Range of the Appalachian Mountains. The underground cavern system is generously adorned with speleothems (columns, mud flows, stalactites, stalagmites, flowstone, mirrored pools, etc). The caverns are celebrated for performances of the Great Stalacpipe Organ, a lithophone made from solenoid fired strikers that tap stalactites of various sizes to produce tones similar to those of xylophones, tuning forks, or bells.
    08VA-1047_Luray-Caverns_Virginia.jpg
  • The South Pacific Ocean carved Cathedral Caves from the coast of the Catlins, on South Island, New Zealand.
    07NZ_2092_Cathedral-Caves.jpg
  • Stalactites hang from Marakoopa Cave, a wet cave in Mole Creek Karst National Park (established 1996), Tasmania, Australia. The park protects over 300 known caves and sinkholes, 168 km northwest of Hobart. Mole Creek Karst National Park is part of the Tasmanian Wilderness honored by UNESCO as World Heritage Site in 1982, expanded in 1989.
    04AUS-40062_stalactites-Marakoopa-Ca...jpg
  • Shawl, stalactite, column, and stalagmite features have formed in the dry King Solomons Cave, in Mole Creek Karst National Park (established 1996), Tasmania, Australia. The park protects over 300 known caves and sinkholes, 168 km northwest of Hobart. Mole Creek Karst National Park is part of the Tasmanian Wilderness honored by UNESCO as World Heritage Site in 1982, expanded in 1989.
    04AUS-40041_King-Solomon-Cave_Tasman...jpg
  • Shawl, stalactite, column, and stalagmite features have formed in the dry King Solomons Cave, in Mole Creek Karst National Park (established 1996), Tasmania, Australia. The park protects over 300 known caves and sinkholes, 168 km northwest of Hobart. Mole Creek Karst National Park is part of the Tasmanian Wilderness honored by UNESCO as World Heritage Site in 1982, expanded in 1989. For licensing options, please inquire.
    04AUS-40056_King-Solomon-Cave_Tasma...jpg
  • Shawl, stalactite, column, and stalagmite features have formed in the dry King Solomons Cave, in Mole Creek Karst National Park (established 1996), Tasmania, Australia. The park protects over 300 known caves and sinkholes, 168 km northwest of Hobart. Mole Creek Karst National Park is part of the Tasmanian Wilderness honored by UNESCO as World Heritage Site in 1982, expanded in 1989.
    04AUS-40048_King-Solomon-Cave_Tasman...jpg
  • Stalactites, columns, and  stalagmites formed in the now-dry King Solomons Cave, in Mole Creek Karst National Park (established 1996), Tasmania, Australia. The park protects over 300 known caves and sinkholes, 168 km northwest of Hobart. Mole Creek Karst National Park is part of the Tasmanian Wilderness honored by UNESCO as World Heritage Site in 1982, expanded in 1989.
    04AUS-40040_King-Solomon-Cave_Tasman...jpg
  • Flowstone, shawl, stalactite, column, and stalagmite features have formed from mineral laden water dripping in Marakoopa Cave, in Mole Creek Karst National Park (established 1996), Tasmania, Australia. The park protects over 300 known caves and sinkholes, 168 km northwest of Hobart. Mole Creek Karst National Park is part of the Tasmanian Wilderness honored by UNESCO as World Heritage Site in 1982, expanded in 1989.
    04AUS-40064_water-stalagmites-Marako...jpg
  • Shawl, stalactite, column, and stalagmite features have formed in the dry King Solomons Cave, in Mole Creek Karst National Park (established 1996), Tasmania, Australia. The park protects over 300 known caves and sinkholes, 168 km northwest of Hobart. Mole Creek Karst National Park is part of the Tasmanian Wilderness honored by UNESCO as World Heritage Site in 1982, expanded in 1989.
    04AUS-40054_King-Solomon-Cave_Tasman...jpg
  • Straw-shaped stalactites hang from the ceiling of King Solomons Cave, in Mole Creek Karst National Park (established 1996), Tasmania, Australia. The park protects over 300 known caves and sinkholes, 168 km northwest of Hobart. Mole Creek Karst National Park is part of the Tasmanian Wilderness honored by UNESCO as World Heritage Site in 1982, expanded in 1989.
    04AUS-40034_King-Solomon-Cave_straws.jpg
  • Ferns grow from a year-round water source along Cave Spring Trail, Needles District of Canyonlands National Park, Utah, USA.
    1503SW-1264_Cave-Spring-Trail.jpg
  • Cave Spring Trail, Needles District of Canyonlands National Park, Utah, USA. The Permian rocks of the Needles District formed where red alluvial fans from the east interwove with white dunes from the west, making sandstone spires striped red and white.
    1503SW-1287_Cave-Spring-Trail.jpg
  • Colorful cliffs of rhyolite (solidified volcanic ash layers) rise 2000 feet above white sycamore trees in Cave Creek Canyon, in Coronado National Forest, near Portal, Arizona, USA. .This area of sparkling creeks attracts 12 species of hummingbirds and is one of the top destinations for bird enthusiasts in the USA.
    03AZ-15-18-Cave-Creek-Canyon.jpg
  • Cave Spring Trail, Needles District of Canyonlands National Park, Utah, USA. This panorama was stitched from 3 overlapping photos.
    1503SW-1267-69pan_Cave-Spring-Trail.jpg
  • A stalagmite formation in Paradise section of the Silent Cave (Tiha jama, a fossil passage abandoned by the Reka River), in Skocjan Caves (Skocjanske jame) Regional Park, Slovenia, Europe. Skocjan Caves feature a river raging through one of the world's largest caverns, waterfalls, speleothems (cave formations such as dripstone: stalactites and stalagmites), and twisty paths through eleven chambers over six kilometers. The underground walk over Cerkvenik Bridge 50 meters above the rushing Reka River takes your breath away in the huge Martel's Chamber (Martelova dvorana), the highest cave hall in Europe (60 meters wide and 140 meters deep, which looks bigger in the dim lighting). From a large-scale karst drainage, the Reka River has carved and dissolved dramatic subterranean passages through limestone over several million years. Archaeological finds in Tominceva Cave (Ozka spilja) indicate human occupation here from 3000 BC to 1700 BC. Modern tourism began in Skocjan Caves by 1819. Karst topography is a geologic formation of dissolving bedrock. Our word for "karst" likely evolved from the Slovene noun kras and earlier proper noun Grast, referring to Slovenia's Karst Plateau. Skocjan Caves are near Divaca, in the Littoral region of the Republic of Slovenia. UNESCO has listed Skocjan Caves as a World Heritage Site.
    13SLO-2034_Skocjan-Caves-Slovenia.jpg
  • A stalagmite formation in Paradise section of the Silent Cave (Tiha jama, a fossil passage abandoned by the Reka River), in Skocjan Caves (Skocjanske jame) Regional Park, Slovenia, Europe. Skocjan Caves feature a river raging through one of the world's largest caverns, waterfalls, speleothems (cave formations such as dripstone: stalactites and stalagmites), and twisty paths through eleven chambers over six kilometers. The underground walk over Cerkvenik Bridge 50 meters above the rushing Reka River takes your breath away in the huge Martel's Chamber (Martelova dvorana), the highest cave hall in Europe (60 meters wide and 140 meters deep, which looks bigger in the dim lighting). From a large-scale karst drainage, the Reka River has carved and dissolved dramatic subterranean passages through limestone over several million years. Archaeological finds in Tominceva Cave (Ozka spilja) indicate human occupation here from 3000 BC to 1700 BC. Modern tourism began in Skocjan Caves by 1819. Karst topography is a geologic formation of dissolving bedrock. Our word for "karst" likely evolved from the Slovene noun kras and earlier proper noun Grast, referring to Slovenia's Karst Plateau. Skocjan Caves are near Divaca, in the Littoral region of the Republic of Slovenia. UNESCO has listed Skocjan Caves as a World Heritage Site.
    13SLO-2035_Skocjan-Caves-Slovenia.jpg
  • A log was left suspended high in Mahorcic Cave (Mahorciceva jama) by the Reka River in Slovenia. The wonderful self-guided Part 2 of Skocjan Caves walking tour follows the mysterious Reka River from Mala Dolina (Small Doline, a sinkhole) through Mahorcic Cave (Mahorciceva jama) upstream underground for 350 meters over exciting bridges and dimly lit passages. From a large-scale karst drainage, the Reka River has carved and dissolved dramatic subterranean passages through limestone over several million years. Karst topography is a geologic formation of dissolving bedrock. Our word for "karst" likely evolved from the Slovene noun kras and earlier proper noun Grast, referring to Slovenia's Karst Plateau. Visit Skocjan Caves (Skocjanske jame) Regional Park near Divaca, in the Littoral region of the Republic of Slovenia, Europe. UNESCO has honored Skocjan Caves as a World Heritage Site.
    13SLO-2142_Skocjan-Caves-Slovenia.jpg
  • Fantastic shapes and patterns adorn Caverns of Sonora, Sutton County, Texas, USA. The world-class Caverns of Sonora have a stunning and sparkling array of speleothems (helictites, stalactites, stalagmites, flowstone, coral trees, and other calcite crystal formations). National Speleological Society co-founder, Bill Stephenson said, after seeing it for the first time, "The beauty of Caverns of Sonora cannot be exaggerated...not even by a Texan!" Geologically, the cave formed between 1.5 to 5 million years ago within 100-million-year-old (Cretaceous) Segovia limestone, of the Edward limestone group. A fault allowed gases to rise up to mix with aquifer water, making acid which dissolved the limestone, leaving the cave. Between 1 and 3 million years ago, the water drained from the cave, after which speleothems begain forming. It is one of the most active caves in the world, with over 95% of its formations still growing. Sonora Caves are on Interstate 10, about half-way between Big Bend National Park and San Antonio, Texas.
    1403TX-306_Caverns-of-Sonora_Texas.jpg
  • A log was left suspended high in Mahorcic Cave (Mahorciceva jama) by the Reka River in Slovenia. The wonderful self-guided Part 2 of Skocjan Caves walking tour follows the mysterious Reka River from Mala Dolina (Small Doline, a sinkhole) through Mahorcic Cave (Mahorciceva jama) upstream underground for 350 meters over exciting bridges and dimly lit passages. From a large-scale karst drainage, the Reka River has carved and dissolved dramatic subterranean passages through limestone over several million years. Karst topography is a geologic formation of dissolving bedrock. Our word for "karst" likely evolved from the Slovene noun kras and earlier proper noun Grast, referring to Slovenia's Karst Plateau. Visit Skocjan Caves (Skocjanske jame) Regional Park near Divaca, in the Littoral region of the Republic of Slovenia, Europe. UNESCO has honored Skocjan Caves as a World Heritage Site.
    13SLO-2149_Skocjan-Caves-Slovenia.jpg
  • A log was left suspended high in Mahorcic Cave (Mahorciceva jama) by the Reka River in Slovenia. The wonderful self-guided Part 2 of Skocjan Caves walking tour follows the mysterious Reka River from Mala Dolina (Small Doline, a sinkhole) through Mahorcic Cave (Mahorciceva jama) upstream underground for 350 meters over exciting bridges and dimly lit passages. From a large-scale karst drainage, the Reka River has carved and dissolved dramatic subterranean passages through limestone over several million years. Karst topography is a geologic formation of dissolving bedrock. Our word for "karst" likely evolved from the Slovene noun kras and earlier proper noun Grast, referring to Slovenia's Karst Plateau. Visit Skocjan Caves (Skocjanske jame) Regional Park near Divaca, in the Littoral region of the Republic of Slovenia, Europe. UNESCO has honored Skocjan Caves as a World Heritage Site. This panorama was stitched from 2 overlapping photos.
    13SLO-2134-35pan_Skocjan-Caves-Slove...jpg
  • Stalactites drip from the cave ceiling and deposit stalagmites on the floor, forming columns when they meet. Luray Caverns, originally called Luray Cave, is a large commercial cave just west of Luray, Virginia, USA. Discovered in 1878, the Caverns are in the Shenandoah Valley just east of the Allegheny Range of the Appalachian Mountains. The underground cavern system is generously adorned with speleothems (columns, mud flows, stalactites, stalagmites, flowstone, mirrored pools, etc).
    08VA-1060_Luray-Caverns_Virginia.jpg
  • Stalactites hang from the cave ceiling. Luray Caverns, originally called Luray Cave, is a large commercial cave just west of Luray, Virginia, USA. Discovered in 1878, the Caverns are in the Shenandoah Valley just east of the Allegheny Range of the Appalachian Mountains. The underground cavern system is generously adorned with speleothems (columns, mud flows, stalactites, stalagmites, flowstone, mirrored pools, etc). The caverns are celebrated for performances of the Great Stalacpipe Organ, a lithophone made from solenoid fired strikers that tap stalactites of various sizes to produce tones similar to those of xylophones, tuning forks, or bells. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    08VA-1022_Luray-Caverns_Virginia.jpg
  • Halo Lake is an attractive green pool of water in Caverns of Sonora, Sutton County, Texas, USA. The world-class Caverns of Sonora have a stunning and sparkling array of speleothems (helictites, stalactites, stalagmites, flowstone, coral trees, and other calcite crystal formations). National Speleological Society co-founder, Bill Stephenson said, after seeing it for the first time, "The beauty of Caverns of Sonora cannot be exaggerated...not even by a Texan!" Geologically, the cave formed between 1.5 to 5 million years ago within 100-million-year-old (Cretaceous) Segovia limestone, of the Edward limestone group. A fault allowed gases to rise up to mix with aquifer water, making acid which dissolved the limestone, leaving the cave. Between 1 and 3 million years ago, the water drained from the cave, after which speleothems begain forming. It is one of the most active caves in the world, with over 95% of its formations still growing. Sonora Caves are on Interstate 10, about half-way between Big Bend National Park and San Antonio, Texas. This panorama was stitched from 2 overlapping photos.
    1403TX-368-69pan_Caverns-of-Sonora_T...jpg
  • In Slovenia, the wonderful self-guided Part 2 of Skocjan Caves walking tour follows the mysterious Reka River from Mala Dolina (Small Doline, a sinkhole) through Mahorcic Cave (Mahorciceva jama) upstream underground for 350 meters over exciting bridges and dimly lit passages. From a large-scale karst drainage, the Reka River has carved and dissolved dramatic subterranean passages through limestone over several million years. Karst topography is a geologic formation of dissolving bedrock. Our word for "karst" likely evolved from the Slovene noun kras and earlier proper noun Grast, referring to Slovenia's Karst Plateau. Visit Skocjan Caves (Skocjanske jame) Regional Park near Divaca, in the Littoral region of the Republic of Slovenia, Europe. UNESCO has honored Skocjan Caves as a World Heritage Site. This panorama was stitched from 14 overlapping photos.
    13SLO-2173-86pan_Skocjan-Caves-Slove...jpg
  • In Slovenia, the wonderful self-guided Part 2 of Skocjan Caves walking tour follows the mysterious Reka River from Mala Dolina (Small Doline, a sinkhole) through Mahorcic Cave (Mahorciceva jama) upstream underground for 350 meters over exciting footbridges and dimly lit passages. From a large-scale karst drainage, the Reka River has carved and dissolved dramatic subterranean passages through limestone over several million years. Karst topography is a geologic formation of dissolving bedrock. Our word for "karst" likely evolved from the Slovene noun kras and earlier proper noun Grast, referring to Slovenia's Karst Plateau. Visit Skocjan Caves (Skocjanske jame) Regional Park near Divaca, in the Littoral region of the Republic of Slovenia, Europe. UNESCO has honored Skocjan Caves as a World Heritage Site. This panorama was stitched from 2 overlapping photos.
    13SLO-2188-89pan_Skocjan-Caves-Slove...jpg
  • In Slovenia, the wonderful self-guided Part 2 of Skocjan Caves walking tour follows the mysterious Reka River from Mala Dolina (Small Doline, a sinkhole) through Mahorcic Cave (Mahorciceva jama) upstream underground for 350 meters over exciting bridges and dimly lit passages. From a large-scale karst drainage, the Reka River has carved and dissolved dramatic subterranean passages through limestone over several million years. Karst topography is a geologic formation of dissolving bedrock. Our word for "karst" likely evolved from the Slovene noun kras and earlier proper noun Grast, referring to Slovenia's Karst Plateau. Visit Skocjan Caves (Skocjanske jame) Regional Park near Divaca, in the Littoral region of the Republic of Slovenia, Europe. UNESCO has honored Skocjan Caves as a World Heritage Site.
    13SLO-2160_Skocjan-Caves-Slovenia.jpg
  • In Slovenia, the wonderful self-guided Part 2 of Skocjan Caves walking tour follows the mysterious Reka River from Mala Dolina (Small Doline, a sinkhole) through Mahorcic Cave (Mahorciceva jama) upstream underground for 350 meters over exciting bridges and dimly lit passages. From a large-scale karst drainage, the Reka River has carved and dissolved dramatic subterranean passages through limestone over several million years. Karst topography is a geologic formation of dissolving bedrock. Our word for "karst" likely evolved from the Slovene noun kras and earlier proper noun Grast, referring to Slovenia's Karst Plateau. Visit Skocjan Caves (Skocjanske jame) Regional Park near Divaca, in the Littoral region of the Republic of Slovenia, Europe. UNESCO has honored Skocjan Caves as a World Heritage Site.
    13SLO-2154_Skocjan-Caves-Slovenia.jpg
  • In Slovenia, the wonderful self-guided Part 2 of Skocjan Caves walking tour follows the mysterious Reka River from Mala Dolina (Small Doline, a sinkhole) through Mahorcic Cave (Mahorciceva jama) upstream underground for 350 meters over exciting footbridges and dimly lit passages. From a large-scale karst drainage, the Reka River has carved and dissolved dramatic subterranean passages through limestone over several million years. Karst topography is a geologic formation of dissolving bedrock. Our word for "karst" likely evolved from the Slovene noun kras and earlier proper noun Grast, referring to Slovenia's Karst Plateau. Visit Skocjan Caves (Skocjanske jame) Regional Park near Divaca, in the Littoral region of the Republic of Slovenia, Europe. UNESCO has honored Skocjan Caves as a World Heritage Site.
    13SLO-2128_Skocjan-Caves-Slovenia.jpg
  • Predjama Castle (Slovene: Predjamski grad or Grad Predjama, Italian: Castel Lueghi) is a Renaissance castle rebuilt within a cave mouth in the historical region of Inner Carniola, south-central Slovenia, Europe. The castle was first mentioned in the year 1274 with the German name Luegg, when the Patriarch of Aquileia built the castle in Gothic style. The present castle was rebuilt in 1570 in Renaissance style by baron Philipp von Cobenzl. It was later acquired and expanded by the Luegg noble family, also known as the Knights of Adelsberg (the German name of Postojna). Predjama village is 11 km from Postojna and 9 km from Postojna Cave.
    13SLO-2195_Predjama-Castle_Slovenia.jpg
  • Mineral hot springs emerge in a cave at Orakei Korako Cave and Thermal Park, New Zealand, North Island
    07NZ_8068-Orakei-Korako-Thermal-Park.jpg
  • In Argentina, Cueva de las Manos (Spanish for Cave of Hands) displays some of the earliest known human art in the Americas. Located in a scenic canyon of the Pinturas River, Cave of Hands is reached by remote paved and steep gravel roads, 169 km (105 miles) south of the town of Perito Moreno, in Santa Cruz Province, Argentina, in the South American region of Patagonia. This striking artwork is honored on UNESCO's World Heritage List. Dating to around 5000 BCE, the silhouette paintings of mostly left hands were sprayed using a bone pipe held in the right hand. The age of the paintings was calculated from pigments found in layers of charcoal from human fires and bone remains of the spraying pipes. The hunting scenes (mostly guanaco) and representations of animals and human life all date older than the stenciled hands, to around 7300 BCE. A favorite hunting tool was the bola, where interconnected cords with weights on either end were thrown to trap animal legs. The site was last inhabited around 700 CE, possibly by ancestors of the Tehuelche people. Cueva de las Manos was first explored by researchers in 1949, followed by more extensive studies done in the 1960s. Varying paint colors come from different mineral pigments: iron oxides for red and purple, kaolin for white, natrojarosite for yellow, and manganese oxide for black.
    2002PAT-0506.jpg
  • In Argentina, Cueva de las Manos (Spanish for Cave of Hands) displays some of the earliest known human art in the Americas. Located in a scenic canyon of the Pinturas River, Cave of Hands is reached by remote paved and steep gravel roads, 169 km (105 miles) south of the town of Perito Moreno, in Santa Cruz Province, Argentina, in the South American region of Patagonia. This striking artwork is honored on UNESCO's World Heritage List. Dating to around 5000 BCE, the silhouette paintings of mostly left hands were sprayed using a bone pipe held in the right hand. The age of the paintings was calculated from pigments found in layers of charcoal from human fires and bone remains of the spraying pipes. The hunting scenes (mostly guanaco) and representations of animals and human life all date older than the stenciled hands, to around 7300 BCE. A favorite hunting tool was the bola, where interconnected cords with weights on either end were thrown to trap animal legs. The site was last inhabited around 700 CE, possibly by ancestors of the Tehuelche people. Cueva de las Manos was first explored by researchers in 1949, followed by more extensive studies done in the 1960s. Varying paint colors come from different mineral pigments: iron oxides for red and purple, kaolin for white, natrojarosite for yellow, and manganese oxide for black. This image was stitched from multiple overlapping photos.
    2002PAT-0477-482-Pano.jpg
  • In Argentina, Cueva de las Manos (Spanish for Cave of Hands) displays some of the earliest known human art in the Americas. Located in a scenic canyon of the Pinturas River, Cave of Hands is reached by remote paved and steep gravel roads, 169 km (105 miles) south of the town of Perito Moreno, in Santa Cruz Province, Argentina, in the South American region of Patagonia. This striking artwork is honored on UNESCO's World Heritage List. Dating to around 5000 BCE, the silhouette paintings of mostly left hands were sprayed using a bone pipe held in the right hand. The age of the paintings was calculated from pigments found in layers of charcoal from human fires and bone remains of the spraying pipes. The hunting scenes (mostly guanaco) and representations of animals and human life all date older than the stenciled hands, to around 7300 BCE. A favorite hunting tool was the bola, where interconnected cords with weights on either end were thrown to trap animal legs. The site was last inhabited around 700 CE, possibly by ancestors of the Tehuelche people. Cueva de las Manos was first explored by researchers in 1949, followed by more extensive studies done in the 1960s. Varying paint colors come from different mineral pigments: iron oxides for red and purple, kaolin for white, natrojarosite for yellow, and manganese oxide for black.
    2002PAT-0458.jpg
  • Located in a scenic canyon of the Pinturas River, Cave of Hands is reached by remote paved and steep gravel roads, 169 km (105 miles) south of the town of Perito Moreno, in Santa Cruz Province, Argentina, in the South American region of Patagonia. In Argentina, Cueva de las Manos (Spanish for Cave of Hands) displays some of the earliest known human art in the Americas. This striking artwork is honored on UNESCO's World Heritage List. Dating to around 5000 BCE, the silhouette paintings of mostly left hands were sprayed using a bone pipe held in the right hand. The age of the paintings was calculated from pigments found in layers of charcoal from human fires and bone remains of the spraying pipes. The hunting scenes (mostly guanaco) and representations of animals and human life all date older than the stencilled hands, to around 7300 BCE. A favorite hunting tool was the bola, where interconnected cords with weights on either end were thrown to trap animal legs. The site was last inhabited around 700 CE, possibly by ancestors of the Tehuelche people. Cueva de las Manos was first explored by researchers in 1949, followed by more extensive studies done in the 1960s. Varying paint colors come from different mineral pigments: iron oxides for red and purple, kaolin for white, natrojarosite for yellow, and manganese oxide for black.
    2002PAT-0346.jpg
  • In Appenzell Museum, a prehistoric cave bear paw dates from 90,000 years ago, found in nearby Wildkirchli cave. Appenzell Museum, which is in the town hall and visitor center, shows a cross section of the Swiss Canton's history and culture. Appenzell village is in Appenzell Innerrhoden, Switzerland's most traditional and smallest-population canton (second smallest by area).
    16SWI-0807.jpg
  • Located in a scenic canyon of the Pinturas River, Cave of Hands is reached by remote paved and steep gravel roads, 169 km (105 miles) south of the town of Perito Moreno, in Santa Cruz Province, Argentina, in the South American region of Patagonia. In Argentina, Cueva de las Manos (Spanish for Cave of Hands) displays some of the earliest known human art in the Americas. This striking artwork is honored on UNESCO's World Heritage List. Dating to around 5000 BCE, the silhouette paintings of mostly left hands were sprayed using a bone pipe held in the right hand. The age of the paintings was calculated from pigments found in layers of charcoal from human fires and bone remains of the spraying pipes. The hunting scenes (mostly guanaco) and representations of animals and human life all date older than the stenciled hands, to around 7300 BCE. A favorite hunting tool was the bola, where interconnected cords with weights on either end were thrown to trap animal legs. The site was last inhabited around 700 CE, possibly by ancestors of the Tehuelche people. Cueva de las Manos was first explored by researchers in 1949, followed by more extensive studies done in the 1960s. Varying paint colors come from different mineral pigments: iron oxides for red and purple, kaolin for white, natrojarosite for yellow, and manganese oxide for black.
    2002PAT-0560.jpg
  • In Argentina, Cueva de las Manos (Spanish for Cave of Hands) displays some of the earliest known human art in the Americas. Located in a scenic canyon of the Pinturas River, Cave of Hands is reached by remote paved and steep gravel roads, 169 km (105 miles) south of the town of Perito Moreno, in Santa Cruz Province, Argentina, in the South American region of Patagonia. This striking artwork is honored on UNESCO's World Heritage List. Dating to around 5000 BCE, the silhouette paintings of mostly left hands were sprayed using a bone pipe held in the right hand. The age of the paintings was calculated from pigments found in layers of charcoal from human fires and bone remains of the spraying pipes. The hunting scenes (mostly guanaco) and representations of animals and human life all date older than the stenciled hands, to around 7300 BCE. A favorite hunting tool was the bola, where interconnected cords with weights on either end were thrown to trap animal legs. The site was last inhabited around 700 CE, possibly by ancestors of the Tehuelche people. Cueva de las Manos was first explored by researchers in 1949, followed by more extensive studies done in the 1960s. Varying paint colors come from different mineral pigments: iron oxides for red and purple, kaolin for white, natrojarosite for yellow, and manganese oxide for black.
    2002PAT-0527.jpg
  • In Argentina, Cueva de las Manos (Spanish for Cave of Hands) displays some of the earliest known human art in the Americas. Located in a scenic canyon of the Pinturas River, Cave of Hands is reached by remote paved and steep gravel roads, 169 km (105 miles) south of the town of Perito Moreno, in Santa Cruz Province, Argentina, in the South American region of Patagonia. This striking artwork is honored on UNESCO's World Heritage List. Dating to around 5000 BCE, the silhouette paintings of mostly left hands were sprayed using a bone pipe held in the right hand. The age of the paintings was calculated from pigments found in layers of charcoal from human fires and bone remains of the spraying pipes. The hunting scenes (mostly guanaco) and representations of animals and human life all date older than the stenciled hands, to around 7300 BCE. A favorite hunting tool was the bola, where interconnected cords with weights on either end were thrown to trap animal legs. The site was last inhabited around 700 CE, possibly by ancestors of the Tehuelche people. Cueva de las Manos was first explored by researchers in 1949, followed by more extensive studies done in the 1960s. Varying paint colors come from different mineral pigments: iron oxides for red and purple, kaolin for white, natrojarosite for yellow, and manganese oxide for black.
    2002PAT-0532.jpg
  • In Argentina, Cueva de las Manos (Spanish for Cave of Hands) displays some of the earliest known human art in the Americas. Located in a scenic canyon of the Pinturas River, Cave of Hands is reached by remote paved and steep gravel roads, 169 km (105 miles) south of the town of Perito Moreno, in Santa Cruz Province, Argentina, in the South American region of Patagonia. This striking artwork is honored on UNESCO's World Heritage List. Dating to around 5000 BCE, the silhouette paintings of mostly left hands were sprayed using a bone pipe held in the right hand. The age of the paintings was calculated from pigments found in layers of charcoal from human fires and bone remains of the spraying pipes. The hunting scenes (mostly guanaco) and representations of animals and human life all date older than the stenciled hands, to around 7300 BCE. A favorite hunting tool was the bola, where interconnected cords with weights on either end were thrown to trap animal legs. The site was last inhabited around 700 CE, possibly by ancestors of the Tehuelche people. Cueva de las Manos was first explored by researchers in 1949, followed by more extensive studies done in the 1960s. Varying paint colors come from different mineral pigments: iron oxides for red and purple, kaolin for white, natrojarosite for yellow, and manganese oxide for black.
    2002PAT-0487.jpg
  • In Argentina, Cueva de las Manos (Spanish for Cave of Hands) displays some of the earliest known human art in the Americas. Located in a scenic canyon of the Pinturas River, Cave of Hands is reached by remote paved and steep gravel roads, 169 km (105 miles) south of the town of Perito Moreno, in Santa Cruz Province, Argentina, in the South American region of Patagonia. This striking artwork is honored on UNESCO's World Heritage List. Dating to around 5000 BCE, the silhouette paintings of mostly left hands were sprayed using a bone pipe held in the right hand. The age of the paintings was calculated from pigments found in layers of charcoal from human fires and bone remains of the spraying pipes. The hunting scenes (mostly guanaco) and representations of animals and human life all date older than the stenciled hands, to around 7300 BCE. A favorite hunting tool was the bola, where interconnected cords with weights on either end were thrown to trap animal legs. The site was last inhabited around 700 CE, possibly by ancestors of the Tehuelche people. Cueva de las Manos was first explored by researchers in 1949, followed by more extensive studies done in the 1960s. Varying paint colors come from different mineral pigments: iron oxides for red and purple, kaolin for white, natrojarosite for yellow, and manganese oxide for black.
    2002PAT-0483.jpg
  • In Argentina, Cueva de las Manos (Spanish for Cave of Hands) displays some of the earliest known human art in the Americas. Located in a scenic canyon of the Pinturas River, Cave of Hands is reached by remote paved and steep gravel roads, 169 km (105 miles) south of the town of Perito Moreno, in Santa Cruz Province, Argentina, in the South American region of Patagonia. This striking artwork is honored on UNESCO's World Heritage List. Dating to around 5000 BCE, the silhouette paintings of mostly left hands were sprayed using a bone pipe held in the right hand. The age of the paintings was calculated from pigments found in layers of charcoal from human fires and bone remains of the spraying pipes. The hunting scenes (mostly guanaco) and representations of animals and human life all date older than the stenciled hands, to around 7300 BCE. A favorite hunting tool was the bola, where interconnected cords with weights on either end were thrown to trap animal legs. The site was last inhabited around 700 CE, possibly by ancestors of the Tehuelche people. Cueva de las Manos was first explored by researchers in 1949, followed by more extensive studies done in the 1960s. Varying paint colors come from different mineral pigments: iron oxides for red and purple, kaolin for white, natrojarosite for yellow, and manganese oxide for black.
    2002PAT-0457.jpg
  • In Argentina, Cueva de las Manos (Spanish for Cave of Hands) displays some of the earliest known human art in the Americas. Located in a scenic canyon of the Pinturas River, Cave of Hands is reached by remote paved and steep gravel roads, 169 km (105 miles) south of the town of Perito Moreno, in Santa Cruz Province, Argentina, in the South American region of Patagonia. This striking artwork is honored on UNESCO's World Heritage List. Dating to around 5000 BCE, the silhouette paintings of mostly left hands were sprayed using a bone pipe held in the right hand. The age of the paintings was calculated from pigments found in layers of charcoal from human fires and bone remains of the spraying pipes. The hunting scenes (mostly guanaco) and representations of animals and human life all date older than the stenciled hands, to around 7300 BCE. A favorite hunting tool was the bola, where interconnected cords with weights on either end were thrown to trap animal legs. The site was last inhabited around 700 CE, possibly by ancestors of the Tehuelche people. Cueva de las Manos was first explored by researchers in 1949, followed by more extensive studies done in the 1960s. Varying paint colors come from different mineral pigments: iron oxides for red and purple, kaolin for white, natrojarosite for yellow, and manganese oxide for black.
    2002PAT-0430.jpg
  • In Argentina, Cueva de las Manos (Spanish for Cave of Hands) displays some of the earliest known human art in the Americas. Located in a scenic canyon of the Pinturas River, Cave of Hands is reached by remote paved and steep gravel roads, 169 km (105 miles) south of the town of Perito Moreno, in Santa Cruz Province, Argentina, in the South American region of Patagonia. This striking artwork is honored on UNESCO's World Heritage List. Dating to around 5000 BCE, the silhouette paintings of mostly left hands were sprayed using a bone pipe held in the right hand. The age of the paintings was calculated from pigments found in layers of charcoal from human fires and bone remains of the spraying pipes. The hunting scenes (mostly guanaco) and representations of animals and human life all date older than the stenciled hands, to around 7300 BCE. A favorite hunting tool was the bola, where interconnected cords with weights on either end were thrown to trap animal legs. The site was last inhabited around 700 CE, possibly by ancestors of the Tehuelche people. Cueva de las Manos was first explored by researchers in 1949, followed by more extensive studies done in the 1960s. Varying paint colors come from different mineral pigments: iron oxides for red and purple, kaolin for white, natrojarosite for yellow, and manganese oxide for black.
    2002PAT-0429.jpg
  • In Argentina, Cueva de las Manos (Spanish for Cave of Hands) displays some of the earliest known human art in the Americas. Located in a scenic canyon of the Pinturas River, Cave of Hands is reached by remote paved and steep gravel roads, 169 km (105 miles) south of the town of Perito Moreno, in Santa Cruz Province, Argentina, in the South American region of Patagonia. This striking artwork is honored on UNESCO's World Heritage List. Dating to around 5000 BCE, the silhouette paintings of mostly left hands were sprayed using a bone pipe held in the right hand. The age of the paintings was calculated from pigments found in layers of charcoal from human fires and bone remains of the spraying pipes. The hunting scenes (mostly guanaco) and representations of animals and human life all date older than the stenciled hands, to around 7300 BCE. A favorite hunting tool was the bola, where interconnected cords with weights on either end were thrown to trap animal legs. The site was last inhabited around 700 CE, possibly by ancestors of the Tehuelche people. Cueva de las Manos was first explored by researchers in 1949, followed by more extensive studies done in the 1960s. Varying paint colors come from different mineral pigments: iron oxides for red and purple, kaolin for white, natrojarosite for yellow, and manganese oxide for black.
    2002PAT-0423.jpg
  • Located in a scenic canyon of the Pinturas River, Cave of Hands is reached by remote paved and steep gravel roads, 169 km (105 miles) south of the town of Perito Moreno, in Santa Cruz Province, Argentina, in the South American region of Patagonia. In Argentina, Cueva de las Manos (Spanish for Cave of Hands) displays some of the earliest known human art in the Americas. This striking artwork is honored on UNESCO's World Heritage List. This image was stitched from multiple overlapping photos.
    2002PAT-0379-380-Pano.jpg
  • In Argentina, Cueva de las Manos (Spanish for Cave of Hands) displays some of the earliest known human art in the Americas. Located in a scenic canyon of the Pinturas River, Cave of Hands is reached by remote paved and steep gravel roads, 169 km (105 miles) south of the town of Perito Moreno, in Santa Cruz Province, Argentina, in the South American region of Patagonia. This striking artwork is honored on UNESCO's World Heritage List. Dating to around 5000 BCE, the silhouette paintings of mostly left hands were sprayed using a bone pipe held in the right hand. The age of the paintings was calculated from pigments found in layers of charcoal from human fires and bone remains of the spraying pipes. The hunting scenes (mostly guanaco) and representations of animals and human life all date older than the stenciled hands, to around 7300 BCE. A favorite hunting tool was the bola, where interconnected cords with weights on either end were thrown to trap animal legs. The site was last inhabited around 700 CE, possibly by ancestors of the Tehuelche people. Cueva de las Manos was first explored by researchers in 1949, followed by more extensive studies done in the 1960s. Varying paint colors come from different mineral pigments: iron oxides for red and purple, kaolin for white, natrojarosite for yellow, and manganese oxide for black.
    2002PAT-0426.jpg
  • In Appenzell Museum, a prehistoric cave bear skull dates from 90,000 years ago, found in nearby Wildkirchli cave. Appenzell Museum, which is in the town hall and visitor center, shows a cross section of the Swiss Canton's history and culture. Appenzell village is in Appenzell Innerrhoden, Switzerland's most traditional and smallest-population canton (second smallest by area).
    16SWI-0806.jpg
  • The cavern mouth frames tree ferns and verdant vegetation at Orakei Korako Cave and Thermal Park, New Zealand, North Island
    07NZ_8073-Orakei-Korako-Thermal-Park.jpg
  • Cave Loop Trail. See fantastic hoodoos and a great slot canyon in Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument, in New Mexico, USA. Hike the easy Cave Loop Trail plus Slot Canyon Trail side trip (3 miles round trip), 40 miles southwest of Santa Fe, on the Pajarito Plateau. Distinctive cone-shaped caprocks protect soft pumice and tuff beneath. Geologically, the Tent Rocks are made of Peralta Tuff, formed from volcanic ash, pumice, and pyroclastic debris deposited over 1000 feet thick from the Jemez Volcanic Field, 7 million years ago. Kasha-Katuwe means "white cliffs" in the Pueblo language Keresan. This panorama was stitched from 4 overlapping photos.
    1403NM-0839-842pan_Kasha-Katuwe_Tent...jpg
  • Cave Loop Trail. See fantastic hoodoos and a great slot canyon in Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument, in New Mexico, USA. Hike the easy Cave Loop Trail plus Slot Canyon Trail side trip (3 miles round trip), 40 miles southwest of Santa Fe, on the Pajarito Plateau. Distinctive cone-shaped caprocks protect soft pumice and tuff beneath. Geologically, the Tent Rocks are made of Peralta Tuff, formed from volcanic ash, pumice, and pyroclastic debris deposited over 1000 feet thick from the Jemez Volcanic Field, 7 million years ago. Kasha-Katuwe means "white cliffs" in the Pueblo language Keresan. This panorama was stitched from 3 overlapping photos.
    1403NM-0829_Kasha-Katuwe_Tent-Rocks-...jpg
  • Hot springs water cools and deposits white travertine and hosts orange microbial mats at Orakei Korako Cave and Thermal Park, New Zealand, North Island
    07NZ_8058-Orakei-Korako-Thermal-Park.jpg
  • Hot springs water cools and deposits white travertine and hosts orange microbial mats at Orakei Korako Cave and Thermal Park, New Zealand, North Island
    07NZ_8055-Orakei-Korako-Thermal-Park.jpg
  • Cave Loop Trail. See fantastic hoodoos and a great slot canyon in Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument, in New Mexico, USA. Hike the easy Cave Loop Trail plus Slot Canyon Trail side trip (3 miles round trip), 40 miles southwest of Santa Fe, on the Pajarito Plateau. Distinctive cone-shaped caprocks protect soft pumice and tuff beneath. Geologically, the Tent Rocks are made of Peralta Tuff, formed from volcanic ash, pumice, and pyroclastic debris deposited over 1000 feet thick from the Jemez Volcanic Field, 7 million years ago. Kasha-Katuwe means "white cliffs" in the Pueblo language Keresan. This panorama was stitched from 2 overlapping photos.
    1403NM-0824-825pan_Kasha-Katuwe_Tent...jpg
  • Cave Loop Trail. See fantastic hoodoos and a great slot canyon in Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument, in New Mexico, USA. Hike the easy Cave Loop Trail plus Slot Canyon Trail side trip (3 miles round trip), 40 miles southwest of Santa Fe, on the Pajarito Plateau. Distinctive cone-shaped caprocks protect soft pumice and tuff beneath. Geologically, the Tent Rocks are made of Peralta Tuff, formed from volcanic ash, pumice, and pyroclastic debris deposited over 1000 feet thick from the Jemez Volcanic Field, 7 million years ago. Kasha-Katuwe means "white cliffs" in the Pueblo language Keresan. This panorama was stitched from 3 overlapping photos.
    1403NM-0826_Kasha-Katuwe_Tent-Rocks-...jpg
  • Cave Loop Trail. See fantastic hoodoos and a great slot canyon in Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument, in New Mexico, USA. Hike the easy Cave Loop Trail plus Slot Canyon Trail side trip (3 miles round trip), 40 miles southwest of Santa Fe, on the Pajarito Plateau. Distinctive cone-shaped caprocks protect soft pumice and tuff beneath. Geologically, the Tent Rocks are made of Peralta Tuff, formed from volcanic ash, pumice, and pyroclastic debris deposited over 1000 feet thick from the Jemez Volcanic Field, 7 million years ago. Kasha-Katuwe means "white cliffs" in the Pueblo language Keresan. This panorama was stitched from 3 overlapping photos.
    1403NM-0810-812pan_Kasha-Katuwe_Tent...jpg
  • Cave Loop Trail. See fantastic hoodoos and a great slot canyon in Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument, in New Mexico, USA. Hike the easy Cave Loop Trail plus Slot Canyon Trail side trip (3 miles round trip), 40 miles southwest of Santa Fe, on the Pajarito Plateau. Distinctive cone-shaped caprocks protect soft pumice and tuff beneath. Geologically, the Tent Rocks are made of Peralta Tuff, formed from volcanic ash, pumice, and pyroclastic debris deposited over 1000 feet thick from the Jemez Volcanic Field, 7 million years ago. Kasha-Katuwe means "white cliffs" in the Pueblo language Keresan. This panorama was stitched from 3 overlapping photos.
    1403NM-0801_Kasha-Katuwe_Tent-Rocks-...jpg
  • Mud pots, Orakei Korako Cave and Thermal Park, New Zealand, North Island
    07NZ_8082-Orakei-Korako-Thermal-Park.jpg
  • Prehistoric pictograph,<br />
Cave Spring Trail, Needles District of Canyonlands National Park, Utah, USA.
    1503SW-1261_pictograph_Canyonlands.jpg
  • At the unique Natural Tunnel State Park, near Duffield, Virginia, both a train and a river share the same natural limestone cave, measuring 850 feet (255 meters) long! The railroad has used this tunnel since 1890. Natural Tunnel began forming during the early Pleistocene Epoch and was fully formed by about one million years ago. The Glenita fault line running through the tunnel, combined with moving water and naturally forming carbonic acid may have formed Natural Tunnel through the surrounding limestone and dolomitic bedrock. After the tunnel formed and the regional water table lowered, Stock Creek diverted underground, then later took the path of least resistance through the Natural Tunnel, through Purchase Ridge, flowing south to join the Clinch River. Daniel Boone is believed to have been the first white man to see it. William Jennings Bryan (1860-1925) dubbed it the "Eighth Wonder of the World"; and the tunnel has been a tourist attraction for more than a century. Natural Tunnel State Park was created in 1967, and opened to the public in 1971. For a time, a passenger train line ran through Natural Tunnel, and today, the railroad still carries coal through it to the southeast USA.
    08VA-2003_Natural-Tunnel-SP-Virginia.jpg
  • A desert delight, the Thunder River emerges year-round from a deep cave system of Muav Limestone. The half-mile-long Thunder River drops 1200 feet over a series of waterfalls, making it the steepest river in the USA, and one of the shortest. It's a rare instance where a river is a tributary of a creek. While Tapeats Creek was named by the second Powell Expedition in the winter of 1871–1872, the expedition did not discover its main tributary, Thunder River (which wasn't found by European-Americans until 1904). Starting at River Mile 134.5, a portion of our party disembarked our rafts for a hike one way up beautiful Tapeats Creek Trail to the wondrous Thunder Spring and River, across remote Surprise Valley Trail, then down Deer Creek Trail to meet others of our group at The Patio and Deer Creek Falls at River Mile 136.9. This scenic one-way traverse was 8 miles with 2300 feet gain (measured by my smartphone GPS app). Day 10 of 16 days rafting 226 miles down the Colorado River in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, USA.
    2103SW-B0935.jpg
  • "Geysers and Galsers" joke sign marks the toilets (bathroom/WC) at Orakei Korako Cave and Thermal Park, New Zealand, North Island
    07NZ_8048-Orakei-Korako-Thermal-Park.jpg
  • In Engelberg, Switzerland, we rode the Titlis lift, the world's first rotating cable car. The Titlis cable car system connects Engelberg (996 m or 3,268 ft) to the summit of Klein Titlis (3,028 m or 9,934 ft) via stations at Trübsee and Stand. At Klein Titlis, we visited the illuminated Glacier Cave and Titlis Cliff Walk, the highest elevation suspension bridge in Europe, opened in December 2012, giving views across the Alps. We enjoyed walking 2 miles around scenic Trübsee, a circuit where six play stations for kids make an ideal family excursion, suitable for strollers. Scheduling 3 nights in Engelberg provided a well-needed rest break in the middle of hiking the first ten stages of the Swiss Via Alpina (National Route 1).
    22ALP-08567.jpg
  • In Engelberg, Switzerland, we rode the Titlis lift, the world's first rotating cable car. The Titlis cable car system connects Engelberg (996 m or 3,268 ft) to the summit of Klein Titlis (3,028 m or 9,934 ft) via stations at Trübsee and Stand. At Klein Titlis, we visited the illuminated Glacier Cave and Titlis Cliff Walk, the highest elevation suspension bridge in Europe, opened in December 2012, giving views across the Alps. We enjoyed walking 2 miles around scenic Trübsee, a circuit where six play stations for kids make an ideal family excursion, suitable for strollers. Scheduling 3 nights in Engelberg provided a well-needed rest break in the middle of hiking the first ten stages of the Swiss Via Alpina (National Route 1).
    22ALP-08560.jpg
  • In Engelberg, Switzerland, we rode the Titlis Rotair, the world's first rotating cable car (completed in 2014). The Titlis cable car system connects Engelberg (996 m or 3,268 ft) to the summit of Klein Titlis (3,028 m or 9,934 ft) via stations at Trübsee and Stand. At Klein Titlis, we visited the illuminated Glacier Cave and Titlis Cliff Walk, the highest elevation suspension bridge in Europe, opened in December 2012, giving views across the Alps. We enjoyed walking 2 miles around scenic Trübsee, a circuit where six play stations for kids make an ideal family excursion, suitable for strollers. Scheduling 3 nights in Engelberg provided a well-needed rest break in the middle of hiking the first ten stages of the Swiss Via Alpina (National Route 1).
    22ALP-08549.jpg
  • Hikers with rain gear emerge from under suspended boulders on Bear Gulch Cave Trail. Pinnacles National Park, California, USA
    2203CA-0054.jpg
  • Bear Gulch Cave Trail. Pinnacles National Park, California, USA
    2203CA-0046.jpg
  • Bear Gulch Cave Trail. Pinnacles National Park, California, USA
    2203CA-0037.jpg
  • Bear Gulch Cave Trail. Pinnacles National Park, California, USA
    2203CA-0044.jpg
Next
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
x

Portfolio of Tom Dempsey / PhotoSeek.com

  • Portfolio
  • BLOG — PhotoSeek HOME
  • ALL IMAGES + captions
    • Worldwide favorites
    • ALL GALLERIES
    • Lightbox
  • SEARCH
  • CART
  • How to buy my images
  • Camera reviews
  • ABOUT