At the foot of Japan‘s Mou Fuji, an amazing and coradictory phenomenon of nature hides a world of ice in the heart of a tunnel of fiery lava. Narusawa Ice Cave is a natural lava tunnel that maiains its freezing temperature all year round and hosts gia ice columns, some of which reach up to three meters in height. (live science)
Photographer: Unknown / zekkeijapan.com
This amazing cave is the product of the powerful eruption of Mou Fuji in 864 AD. Lava tunnels are formed when, after a volcanic eruption, the outer layers of the lava flow solidify faster than the molten core in coact with cold air. After the eruption stops, the liquid core is drained and leaves a hollow channel or cave.
Narosawa Cave, which is about 150 meters long, has an average temperature of about three degrees Celsius due to its unique geological structure. This low temperature causes the moisture inside the cave to freeze, especially in wier. The water drops that drip from the roof form laerns and columns that meet in the coldest mohs of the year and create ice columns with a thickness of half a meter and a height of three meters.
In the past, this cave was not only a tourist attraction, but was used as a gia natural glacier to store silkworm seeds and cocoons. By cutting pieces of ice from the pillars, the locals piled them up and built a kind of natural cold storage to preserve the quality of their products. This cave, along with the other two big caves in the region, is one of the promine geological attractions.
Photographer: Osumi Akari / commons.wikimedia.org
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Cover photo source: Alamy Photographer: Unknown
