Context

Mammoth Cave National Park, home to the world’s longest-known cave system, is now even longer. The legitimate length of Mammoth Cave has been extended to 420 miles. The extra mileage (8 miles) was mapped and documented through the Cave Research Foundation.

About

About the Cave

• Mammoth Cave was created by the natural process of limestone erosion, known as karst topography. 
  • During this process, rain and rivers slowly dissolve and shape soft limestone, creating a vast system of caves. 
  • Underground rivers are still carving new passages today. 
• Location: Mammoth Cave National Park, located in the nation of Kentucky (US).
• A giant roof of shale and sandstone form the upper cap of the cave system in Mammoth Cave.
• This rocky layer acts as an umbrella, preventing the slow dripping of water into the cave. It is the action of water that forms stalactites and stalagmites.
• Mammoth Cave is the world’s longest cave system and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Mammoth Cave was established as a national park on July 1, 1941.
• It received its official designation as the world’s longest cave system in 1969. At the time, there were 65 miles of surveyed passageways.