Latest news with #NeuronFoundation
Miami Herald
18-02-2025
- Science
- Miami Herald
Huge thermal lake — largest in the world — discovered deep below Albania. Take a look
In 2021, a group of Czech scientists set out on an expedition to map an extensive cave system in the southern European country of Albania. As they worked their way from the cavernous rooms to tight passageways, the research team noticed columns of steam rising from an unknown source further below them. They found an opening leading to a deep abyss, more than 300 feet down, but their expedition wasn't able to find a way down to explore. Now, three years after the initial discovery, a second expedition into the cave system has found that not only is the abyss filled with hot water, but it's the largest underground thermal lake in the world, the Neuron Foundation said in a Feb. 5 Facebook post. The site was named Lake Neuron, named after the research organization that supported the expedition, according to a statement from the Neuron Foundation. The lake is 454 feet long, 137 feet wide, 1,131 feet around and holds more than 2 million gallons of hot water, researchers said. 'During the initial exploration, we created a basic map using the equipment we had. We knew already back then that we had discovered something really special,' photographer and speleologist Richard Bouda told Radio Prague International. 'Thanks to the Neuron Foundation, we acquired a mobile LIDAR scanner, which allows us to measure the entire cave and the entire area of the lake. We will also cooperate with hydrologists who will measure the underwater portion of that lake using sonar.' The chamber had its dangers, researchers told National Geographic CZ. Gases in the cave had to be monitored by detectors to make sure the air was safe to breathe. There is also still much to learn, the outlet reported. The research team is hoping further study will tell them more about the biology of the rare ecosystem, as well as how it is connected to the surface. 'Thanks to the scientists we work with, we know that the surrounding springs are fed with water from the lake,' Bouda told Prague Radio International. 'We believe this discovery could also contribute to the protection of the whole area and to a better understanding of its hydrology, because to this day, nobody knows how exactly these underground waters are connected to the surface.' Prior to this discovery, the largest underground thermal lake title belonged to a site in Hungary, below Turkish baths in the city of Budapest, Reuters reported in 2008. That lake is 282 feet long, 89 feet wide and 49 feet high, according to the outlet. The underground lake was discovered in the Vromoner area of southern Albania. Google Translate and Facebook Translate were used to translate the news release and Facebook post from the Neuron Foundation and the National Geographic CZ article.
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists Found the Largest Underground Thermal Lake at the Bottom of a Subterranean Abyss
Researchers discovered the largest underground thermal lake in the world at the bottom of an 'abyss.' The lake holds more than three Olympic swimming pool's worth of water. Future explorations hope to map and 3D-model the record-breaking find, as well as investigate any life that may have established itself in the environment. There's nothing more luxurious than mother nature's jacuzzi: hot springs. Hot springs are one of many ways geothermal features present on Earth's surface—heat from the planet's core warms the water and, in active volcanic zones, springs may even produce waters superheated to dangerously high temperatures. And scientists may have just found the biggest one yet… well, sort of. A team of scientists from the Czech Republic has discovered the world's largest underground thermal lake, located in southern Albania. They first stumbled upon the lake (and the elaborate cave system it's a part of) in 2021, but didn't have the proper equipment to properly study it, according to a press release. What they did have, however, was a promising visual. By following a column of steam down into the limestone, the team was able to locate 'an abyss over 100 meters deep,' according to Marek Audy, the head of the expedition. They named the cave Atmos. Pushing further into the cave, the team discovered something even more exciting—a 'strong thermal inflow and a vast lake' sitting at the bottom of the massive chasm. 'In order for Czech science to present this phenomenal discovery, however,' Audy said, 'it is necessary to conduct scientific research and precise measurements.' Upon securing funding from a company known as the Neuron Foundation, which aims to 'raise the profile of Czech science, develop modern philanthropy, and connect science and business'—the researchers were eventually able to return to the cave. Once there, they concluded that the lake—now called Lake Neuron after their benefactors—measured in at a whopping 345 meter circumference. Scientists calculate that the lake holds about 8,335 cubic meters of thermal mineral water. For comparison, an Olympic-size swimming pool holds 2,500 cubic meters. 'This success demonstrates how crucial it is to support scientists directly in the field, where they can bring completely new knowledge thanks to their knowledge and commitment,' Monika Řasa Vondráková, director and co-founder of the Neuron Foundation, said in the press release. 'Expeditions like this are crucial for the development of science and deepening our understanding of the world around us.' The Neuron Foundation also sponsored an expedition responsible for finding a 'lost Mayan city' in Guatemala in 2023, according to a press release. Researchers named the city Yax Balam (which translates to 'Jaguar' in English), and field work suggests that it thrived primarily in the Middle and Late Preclassic period, from 850 B.C. to 150 A.D. As for the future of this thermal lake, the team intends to study it further in the upcoming year. The hope is to bring back a full map of the finding, including a 3D map of the entire crevasse and samples of any flora and fauna that may have taken root. The lake is an exciting find, but the real exploration is just beginning. You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
World's biggest underground thermal lake discovered in Albania at bottom of 330-foot abyss
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Scientists have discovered the world's largest underground thermal lake in a cave in southern Albania, the results of a new expedition confirm. Researchers from the Czech Republic first found the lake four years ago, but they did not have the right instruments to measure it at the time, according to a translated statement from the Neuron Foundation — an organization that promotes research by Czech scientists. Now, the team has announced it returned to the lake in 2024 with state-of-the-art 3D scanners, confirming that the hidden water body is the biggest of its kind known to science. The scientists named the lake "Neuron" after the foundation, which funded the recent expedition. The lake measures 454 feet (138 meters) long and 138 feet (42 m) wide. "In order for Czech science to present this phenomenal discovery, it was necessary to conduct scientific research and precise measurements," Marek Audy, a cave explorer who led both expeditions, said in the statement. Related: Scientists discover enormous reservoir hidden in Cascades — more than twice the amount of water in Lake Mead Audy and his colleagues first discovered the hidden chamber while exploring the border region between Albania and Greece, which has been subject to political tensions for over a century and therefore been off limits for some research. While exploring the region around the town of Leskovik in Albania, the team spotted a huge column of steam wafting from a mountain range and, upon closer inspection, saw it was rising from an abyss more than 330 feet (100 m) deep, Audy said. The researchers descended into the pit and found an extensive system of caves, including some with thermal springs and one containing a vast lake, Audy said. "During our initial exploration, we created a basic map using our equipment and immediately realized that we had discovered something extraordinary," photographer and expedition member Richard Bouda told Euronews. Last year, with funding from the Neuron Foundation, the researchers returned to the site with a lidar scanner — a remote-sensing instrument that uses a laser to measure distances and create 3D models — to map the lake in detail. The results indicate that the lake holds 294,350 cubic feet (8,335 cubic meters) of water, equivalent to about 3.5 Olympic swimming pools. RELATED STORIES —Scientists peered into a secret Antarctic lake hidden beneath the ice — and uncovered a never-before-seen ecosystem —'Worrisome and even frightening': Ancient ecosystem of Lake Baikal at risk of regime change from warming —Catastrophic tipping point in Greenland reached as crystal blue lakes turn brown, belch out carbon dioxide Audy told National Geographic CZ they hope to return to Lake Neuron to study it further. "It's something that could have a huge impact on understanding underground ecosystems and geological processes," he said. "We want to look at other parts of the cave, learn more about the geology and biology of this area." Researchers previously found a similar, albeit smaller underground thermal lake in Hungary, Reuters reported in 2008. That lake and its chamber, discovered beneath Turkish baths in the capital city of Bucharest, were "the biggest active, water-filled thermal water cave and hall in the world" at the time they were found, cave explorer Sandor Kalinovits, one of the lake's discoverers, reportedly said.
