Airmen's Cave facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Airman's Cave |
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| Location | Austin, Texas, U.S. |
| Depth | 9 metres (30 ft) |
| Length | 3,444 metres (11,299 ft) |
| Height variation | 15 metres (49 ft) |
| Elevation | 170 metres (560 ft) |
| Discovery | 1971 |
| Geology | Cretaceous limestone |
| Entrances | 1 |
| Hazards | small passages |
| Access | gated |
| Cave survey | Un. Texas Grotto, NSS. 1974 |
Airman's Cave is an exciting cave located next to Barton Creek in Travis County, south of Austin, Texas. It is about 3,444 meters (over 2 miles) long. This cave is known for its long crawls and tight spaces. It's part of the Barton Creek Greenbelt public park and is looked after by the City of Austin.
What's Inside Airman's Cave?
This cave formed in a type of rock called Edwards limestone. This rock was created during the early Cretaceous period, a very long time ago! The cave used to feed water to Barton Springs. But over time, the water level dropped, and the stream found a new path.
Airman's Cave is home to some rare animals. These animals are called troglobites. Troglobites are creatures that live only in caves. They have adapted to the dark environment. Some examples found here include Rhadine austinica, Tartarocreagris intermedia, Texella spinoperca, and Texella mulaiki.
Cool Passages and Art
One interesting part of the cave is called the "Birth Canal." It's a very tight tunnel near the entrance. It used to make many new cave explorers think twice about going further!
Deeper inside the cave, you'll find a special spot known as the "Aggie Art Gallery." This area has reddish-brown clay. Cavers have used this clay to make dozens of sculptures. They leave their artwork behind for others to discover.
History of the Cave
Airman's Cave was found in 1971. Two airmen from Bergstrom Air Force Base discovered it. They dug into a small crack under a rock.
Over the next three years, people from the University of Texas Grotto explored and mapped the cave. A grotto is a local group of cave explorers who are part of the National Speleological Society. They had to dig through several blocked areas to get through.
In 2007, three students got lost in the cave. A big rescue effort was launched to find them. Luckily, they were found unharmed after being underground for 30 hours.
In 2012, a security gate was put at the cave's entrance. This was because more and more people were trying to explore the cave without proper training. This created safety risks for them. It also threatened the cave itself and the rare animals living inside. The gate helps keep everyone safe and protects this special place.
