Судлаачид Албанийн өмнөд хэсэгт орших Атмос агуйн гүнээс дэлхийд мэдэгдэж буй хамгийн том газар доорх дулааны нуурыг нээж, хэмжилт хийлээ.
Чехийн судлаачид 2021 онд Вромонер бүс нутагт халуун рашааны судалгаа хийх явцдаа газрын гадаргаас уур манан олгойдохыг анзаарч, улмаар 100 гаруй метр гүн ангал дахь энэхүү нуурыг олжээ. Neuron Foundation-ийн санхүүжилтээр хийсэн удаа дараагийн экспедицүүдийн үр дүнд LiDAR сканнер болон сонар төхөөрөмж ашиглан нуурын хэмжээг нарийвчлан тогтоосон байна. Lake Neuron хэмээн нэрлэсэн энэхүү нуур нь ойролцоогоор 140 метр урт, 42 метр өргөн бөгөөд 25 орчим метр гүн, 79 хэм хүртэл халуун эрдэст усаар дүүрэн болох нь батлагджээ.
Уг нуур нь гол мөрний урсгалаар бус, харин газрын гүнээс оргилон гарах эрдэст халуун усны нөлөөгөөр үүссэн “гипоген” хэлбэрийн агуйн системд оршдог байна. Усан дахь устөрөгчийн сульфид нь агуйн агаар дахь хүчилтөрөгчтэй урвалд орж хүхрийн хүчил үүсгэснээр шохойн чулууг идэж, ийм асар том хөндийг урт хугацааны туршид бүрдүүлжээ.
Экспедицийн ахлагч Марек Аудигийн хэлснээр, энэхүү нээлт нь газар доорх экосистем болон геологийн үйл явцыг ойлгоход чухал ач холбогдолтой юм. Судлаачид одоогоор тус бүс нутгийн агуйн системийг Вжоса үндэсний цэцэрлэгт хүрээлэнгийн хамгаалалтад оруулахаар орон нутгийн удирдлагуудтай хамтран ажиллаж байна.
Дэлгэрэнгүйг эх сурвалжаас харах
↓Эх сурвалжийг нээх ↓
A vast thermal lake hidden deep beneath southern Albania has been confirmed as the largest known underground thermal lake on Earth. Located inside Atmos Cave near the Greek border, the warm, mineral-rich lake occupies a cave system carved by rising thermal waters.
Researchers first reached the broader cave network in 2021 while exploring thermal springs in the Vromoner region. The Neuron Foundation says several expeditions and detailed surveys were needed before the team could accurately map the site and confirm the lake’s record-breaking dimensions.
A Steam Plume Revealed a Hidden World
The discovery began with an unexpected clue. While surveying the limestone massif, Czech researchers spotted a column of steam rising from the ground, suggesting that warm water was circulating beneath the surface.
That observation led the team to an abyss more than 328 feet deep. At its base, they found a powerful thermal inflow feeding an enormous underground lake. Expedition leader Marek Audy described the moment in a statement released by the Neuron Foundation:
“At its bottom, we discovered a strong thermal inflow and a vast lake,” adding that: “In order for Czech science to present this phenomenal discovery, it was necessary to conduct scientific research and precise measurements.”
The foundation places the lake roughly 330 feet below the surface, while the accompanying scientific report locates it at about 420 feet inside Atmos Cave. Despite the difference in measurements, both accounts make clear that reaching the lake required navigating a deep and technically challenging cave system.
Reaching the lake required technical rope descents, gas monitoring and specialized mapping equipment. The lake was later named Lake Neuron in recognition of the foundation that financed key equipment for the expedition.
High-tech Mapping Confirmed Its Record Size
Discovering the lake was only the first step. Scientists later returned with a mobile LiDAR scanner and sonar equipment to map Atmos Cave and the neighboring Sulfur, Breška and Kobyla cave systems in unprecedented detail.
The scientific report states that Lake Neuron stretches approximately 460 feet long and 138 feet wide. The survey also revealed a shoreline of about 1,130 feet and a surface area approaching 34,450 square feet, providing the first precise picture of the underground chamber. The team measured a maximum depth of roughly 25 feet and estimated that it holds around 294,300 cubic feet of warm mineral water. Its temperature remains close to 79°F throughout the year.
These findings confirmed the Neuron formation as the largest known underground thermal body of water. As the report noted, that distinction is based on caves explored so far, since many underground systems around the world have yet to be fully mapped.
A Rare Underground System Still Being Studied
The underground reservoir is also drawing attention because of the way the cave itself formed. The statement explains that Atmos Cave developed through hypogene cave formation, a process driven by rising mineral-rich waters instead of rivers flowing from the surface.
The researchers also noted that thermal waters in the Vromoner Valley contain hydrogen sulfide. When the gas comes into contact with oxygen in groundwater and cave air, it can oxidize into sulfuric acid, which gradually reacts with limestone and converts parts of the rock into gypsum. Over long periods, those reactions create large underground chambers like the one housing Lake Neuron.
Researchers also investigated how the reservoir connects with the surrounding groundwater system. Tracer tests showed that water flows toward springs across the valley, while the Old Spa Spring appears to have a different source. The combined discharge from the area’s springs is about 53 gallons per second.
Work at the site is continuing through geological, hydrological and biological research. As reported by the same source, the team is working with local authorities to include the region’s hypogene caves within Vjosa National Park.
“It’s something that could have a huge impact on understanding underground ecosystems and geological processes,” said Audy. “We want to look at other parts of the cave, learn more about the geology and biology of this area.”
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