An underground lake (also known as a subterranean lake) is a lake underneath the surface of the Earth. Most naturally occurring underground lakes are found in areas of karst topography,[1][2] where limestone or other soluble rock has been weathered away, leaving a cave where water can flow and accumulate.
Natural underground lakes are an uncommon hydrogeological feature. More often, groundwater gathers in formations such as aquifers or springs.
The largest subterranean lake in the world is in Dragon's Breath Cave in Namibia,[3] with an area of almost 2 hectares (5 acres);[4] the second largest is The Lost Sea, located inside Craighead Caverns in Tennessee, United States, with an area of 1.8 hectares (4.4 acres) [5]
- ^ Palmer, Arthur N. (2007). Cave geology. Dayton, Ohio: Cave Books. ISBN 978-0-939748-66-2. OCLC 74965086.
- ^ Earle, Steven (September 2015). Physical Geology (2nd ed.). pp. ch. 14.2: Groundwater Flow. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
- ^ Kelly, Daniel (24 January 2014). "Dragon's Breath Cave Holds the World's Largest Underground Lake". Lake Scientist. Archived from the original on 1 March 2015. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
- ^ "Dragon's Breath Cave: Namibia has the worlds largest underground lake". Wanted in Africa. 12 June 2020. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
- ^ "History of the Lost Sea". The Lost Sea. Retrieved 29 September 2022.