Spannagel Cave
| Spannagel Cave | |
|---|---|
In the Kolkgang gallery
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| Location | Hintertux, Tyrol, Austria |
| Coordinates | 47°04′49″N 11°40′18″E / 47.08028°N 11.67167°ECoordinates: 47°04′49″N 11°40′18″E / 47.08028°N 11.67167°E |
| Length | ca. 10 km |
| Elevation | 2521 m |
| Discovery | 1919 |
| Geology | Hochstegen limestone (marble) |
| Show cave opened | 1994 |
| Show cave length | 500 m |
| Lighting | electric |
The Spannagel Cave (German: Spannagelhöhle) is a show cave near Hintertux, in the Zillertal Alps in the Austrian state of Tyrol. Currently about 10 kilometres of cave have been discovered; guided tours enable access to 500 metres of the cave. Its entrance lies below the Spannagelhaus (2531 m), a mountain hut formerly run by the Austrian Tourist Club (ÖTK). The cave and the hut are named after Dr. Rudolf Spannagel, who was the president of the ÖTK from 1902 to 1904.
The overwhelming part of the Zillertal Alps consists of the crystalline primary rocks, plutons and metamorphic rock, that do not support the formation of caves. The only exceptions are pockets of rock capable of karstification such as limestone, dolomite, gypsum and other carbonates. These pockets are generally of quite low thickness, and only allow small caves to be formed. The creation of caves also requires water solubility. The Spannagel Cave has arisen in a large vein of Jurassic calcite marble of the Hochstegen Formation, a marble with over 90% total carbonate content, that runs through the slate mantle of the Western Tauern window. The formation of this extensive cave as a result of geological corrosion (and mixing corrosion) is explained by the tectonics of the region.
The cave is characterised by the strong presence of damps and heavy moisture penetration (even leading to cascades). The various stream passages (Mündungslöcher) form siphons in places that are only accessible by diving. In those cave passages far from daylight there are rare helictites. The Spannagel Cave System extends from the Gefrorne-Wand-Kees glacier to the Lärmstange, 2,686 m, and is the highest large cave in Europe with a measured length to date of 10 kilometres. During guided tours the cave's many features (coloured marble, various calc-sinter formations, speleothems, crystals, banded marbles and kolks) are explained. In addition, the age of the cave and its formation are described, as are its flora and fauna, climate and cave atmosphere which is beneficial for those suffering from lung ailments. Bats only appear in the vicinity of the cave exits - albeit some get lost in the entrance area. A cave museum has been established in the eastern section of this passageway where several discoveries from the interior of the mountain are displayed.
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Wikipedia