The mystery of the formation of 'pearls' in the world's largest cave Cave pearls

Son Doong Cave was discovered by Mr. Ho Khanh, a local cave explorer, during his trips to the forest. In 2009, a British-Vietnamese cave exploration team explored, surveyed and measured the cave. That same year, Son Doong Cave was announced as the largest natural limestone cave in the world . In 2013, Son Doong Cave was recognized by the Guinness World Records as the largest natural cave in the world. (Photo: Oxalis Adventure).

Son Doong Cave has a total length of nearly 9 km, a large cave dome with a volume of up to 38.5 million m3. Many things make Son Doong special: inside the cave there are many stalactites with giant sizes (higher than 80m), beautiful stones that are considered cave gems. Along with that, the cave contains a primeval forest, its own ecosystem, weather or an endless underground river that has not been fully explored . (Photo: Oxalis Adventure).

Cave pearls are spherical stones that range in size from a pea to a baseball. According to scientists , cave pearls are formed when calcite-rich water flows down from the cave roof and settles around sand grains or small objects over a long period of time. They form in pools of water with a high concentration of calcium carbonate. This allows large amounts of calcite to bond together on the surface of the pearl at once. (Photo: Oxalis Adventure).

When water flows from high to low, they move in a circular motion, creating a spherical shape for the pearls. However, cave pearls are easily metamorphosed, so in reality, they will have many different shapes. In each cave area, these pearls will have different characteristics. (Photo: Oxalis Adventure).

According to the explorers, inside Son Doong Cave, there are many areas where cave pearls appear, with various sizes. The pearls in this cave are naturally arranged inside the calcium veins. They look very beautiful when illuminated, especially on rainy days when these cave pearls look sparkling under the flashlight. (Photo: Oxalis Adventure).

According to experts, in the limestone cave environment, cave pearls look very eye-catching but if brought to the outside environment, they will turn black, ugly and will spoil in a short time. Authorities and tourism operators strictly prohibit tourists from directly impacting stalactite structures, including stone pearls.

Source: https://suckhoedoisong.vn/bi-an-ve-su-hinh-thanh-cua-nhung-vien-ngoc-trong-hang-dong-lon-nhat-the-gioi-169250803100935452.htm