Veryovkina Cave

Veryovkina Cave is a deep karst cave in the Arabika Massif of Abkhazia. Its explored depth reaches 2,212 metres, making it the deepest known cave.

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Karst: Landscape shaped by the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone, often containing caves and sinkholes. Dissolution of Arabika’s limestone created the setting in which Veryovkina’s passages formed.
Arabika Massif: A limestone massif in the western Caucasus, containing some of the world’s deepest explored caves. Veryovkina is one of the deep cave systems developed within this massif.
Cave surveying: The measurement and mapping of cave passages, elevations, and connections. Survey measurements establish the cave’s mapped depth and spatial layout.
Cave depth: The vertical difference between a cave’s highest and lowest surveyed points. This measurement defines the record for which Veryovkina is known.
Limestone: A sedimentary rock composed mainly of calcium carbonate, commonly dissolved by weakly acidic water. Its soluble bedrock allows water to enlarge fractures into cave passages.
Alexander Verëvkin: A Soviet and Russian speleologist whose name was given to Veryovkina Cave. The cave commemorates the speleologist after whom it was named.
Cave diving: The exploration of submerged passages in caves using specialized diving equipment and procedures. Diving techniques are relevant wherever water-filled passages interrupt the cave route.
Lamprechtsofen: A deep cave system in the Leogang Mountains of Austria, known for a large vertical extent. Its depth offers a European comparison with the deepest Caucasus caves.
Speleogenesis: The formation and development of caves through geological processes. It explains how fractures and flowing water became Veryovkina’s extensive system.
Perovo Speleoclub: A Russian speleological club that has organized expeditions to caves, including Veryovkina. Its teams carried out the exploration that established the cave’s record depth.