24 September 2023 , 10:00
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Scientists are excited after a mysterious 'pool of milk' was discovered in the depths of an underground cave some 700m below the surface. The body of eerie liquid - clearly untouched by humans - was found by explorers in Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico, USA.
Described by the park's employees as a "wondrous sight" and "completely pristine", the "virgin" pool is surrounded by white frosted rock. It's colour, however, which appears a murky blue with a creamy tint to the naked eye, is actually an optical illusion and in fact crystal-clear according to Earthly Mission. Expedition leader Max Wisshak believes the water is the result of ancient rainwater seeping seeped through the limestone roof.
The remarkable discovery occurred in Lechuguilla Cave in 2019 with the explorers sharing their delight on Facebook at the time. In a post, they wrote: "Exploration in caves sometimes yields small yet wondrous sights. This cave pool, found in Lechuguilla Cave, appears to be completely pristine. "The edges beneath this pool appear to be 'pool fingers', which could be bacterial colonies that have evolved entirely without human presence."
The untouched body of liquid was found in New Mexico's Carlsbad Caverns National Park (Carlsbad Caverns National Park)
One expert believes the pool formed from ancient rainwater seeping seeped through the cave's limestone roof (Carlsbad Caverns National Park)The find happened after a team of specialised explorers were finally granted permission to explore beyond a body of water known as the "Lake of Liquid Sky". Plans for the expedition were formulated over a long period of time following the discovery of the "Lake" way back in 1993. Carlsbad Caverns’ Rodney Horrocks said: "This pool has been isolated for hundreds of thousands of years and had never seen light before that day."
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And Wisshak added: "Such untouched pools are scientifically important because water samples are relatively free of contaminants and the microbial organisms that may live in those pools are only those that belong there. "Contamination can occur from the surface above the cave, but in case of Lechuguilla Cave, that’s not a big issue, since it is situated in a well-protected wilderness area. It can also occur via aerosols in the air. However, a newly discovered pool in Lechuguilla Cave is about as pristine as it gets."
Despite being explored for decades, new areas of Carlsbad Caverns are still being discovered. In 2012 explorers found a new network of tunnels leading to a giant room, almost 600ft in length and 150ft high.