Czech expedition to explore possibly world's largest underground thermal lake
A team of Czech researchers are set to explore what is probably the largest underground thermal lake in the world. They made the discovery on the border of Albania and Greece already two years ago, but were unable to complete their research due to insufficient technology. Thanks to a prestigious grant from the Neuron Foundation, they can now return to the site.
The team of Czech researchers discovered the thermal lake on the bottom of a 100-metre deep abyss, hidden in a limestone massif in the area of Vromoner in south Albania, on the border with Greece. Photographer and speleologists Richard Bouda explains how the discovery was made:
“When we were editing some footage that we made during one of our first expeditions to the area, we noticed a column of steam rising out of the forest. At first we thought it was just vapour after rain. But then we noticed that it was coming from a black depth. When we headed there, we found a deep abyss with a large lake at the bottom.”
In order for the research team to make their unique discovery official, it is necessary to carry out a detailed examination and precise measurements of the area. Thanks to the grant from the Neuron Foundation, amounting to nearly a million crowns, that will now be possible, says Mr. Bouda:
“During the initial exploration, we created a basic map using the equipment we had. But we knew already back then that we had discovered something really special. Thanks to the Neuron Foundation, we've 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 a sonar.”
The cave, which the scientists named Atmos, is hypogenic, which means it is saturated with mineral water coming upward from the depths of the Earth. When carrying out their research, scientists need to be equipped with gas detectors, due to the possible leakage of poisonous gases, such as hydrogen sulphide.
According to Mr Bouda, what makes their discovery so unique is not just the cave and the lake, but also the surrounding area.
“Thanks to the scientists we work with, we know that the surrounding springs are fed with water from the lake. 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.”
The Neuron 2024 expedition of around 20 specialists from various fields of science sets out to Albania in the second week of October The onsite research is expected to take about two weeks’ time.
