Center - Scuola Subacquea ad Alghero & Porto Conte - Sardinia - Italy

CAVE GEOLOGY

In the north west of Sardinia, in the vicinity of our Porto Conte Bay, there are more than 300 caves above and under the sea water.

Within the limestone mass of Capo Caccia, on the side most battered by the sea, is one of the most unforgettable geological marvels. The caves are large, extending for a total of 2,500 meters, with a complex array of caverns, wide passages, small, clear lakes, deep wells and narrow tunnels. A series of natural formations within makes these caves some of the most interesting and important in the Mediterranean basin. Geologically, the Cape Caccia promontory is made of limestone rock formed during the Cretaceous period, between 135 and 65 million years ago. - Mauro Mucedda (Sassari Speleological Group)

What is a cave?

A cave is a natural opening in the ground extending beyond the zone of light and large enough to permit the entry of man. Occurring in a wide variety of rock types and caused by widely differing geological processes, caves range in size from single small rooms to interconnecting passages many miles long.

Cave Formation and Features

One of the great attractions of the Alghero's Neptune Caves are the limestone formations that decorate its walls and roof, created by nature over hundreds and thousands of years by the slow dripping of water.

Rainwater trickles down into cracks in the limestone and slowly dissolves the calcium carbonate in the rock, creating small cavities which grow larger with time, until they become the caves that we see today. This water, rich with dissolved salts, collects on the floor of the cave and gives rise to the formations of varying shapes and colors. These process result in the creation of magnificent stalagmites and columns in many shapes and sizes.

Inside of the caves lines of color have along the cave walls provide information about the Mediterranean sea levels and cave history. During glacial and interglacial periods, the level of the sea varied considerably, falling in colder periods and rising in warmer ones. About 125,000 years ago, the level of the sea rose about 4 meters higher than it is today and remained stable at this height for a long period.

Because geologic evidence outside of the caves have been eroded, the caves provide geologists and researchers with uniquely preserved evidence of the climatic changes of the Mediterranean area that occurred as far back as millions of years. Many of the cave's columns and rock flows stood formed long before the Bronze Age Nuraghe of Sardinia, the Colloseum in Rome, or the great Pyramids of Egypt. The cave also contains beautifully crafted eccentric formations, which consist of thin threads of calcite branching in all directions and forming lace-like ceiling. Calcite crystal formations within small basins of water have developed into multifaceted crystals, in wide-ranging shades of color, which give off shimmering reflections of light.

he cave and crystal formations that line the caves create an enchanting world and an incredible sight to be seen.

Please return to our Dive Sites page to learn more about our cave dive sites and opportunities to experience these wonders from an exclusive and exciting vantage point - below the surface!

 

Home | About Us | Dive Center | Certifications | Dive Sites | Trip Planning | Articles | Prices | Contact Us Diving News | Video Gallery | Photo Gallery | Staff | Links

 

 

IL TUO DIVING AD ALGHERO - IN SARDINIA - ITALY