An underground thermal lake that Hungarian officials say is one of the biggest in the world was unveiled this week after its discovery below a Turkish bath in the capital Budapest.
"This is the biggest active, water-filled thermal water cave and hall in the world" - speleologist Sandor Kalinovits, one of the lake's discoverers.
The lake, discovered earlier this year, lies in a subterranean hall 86 metres long, 27 metres wide and 15 metres high and belongs to the Janos Molnar cave.
Finding Caves on Earth, the Moon, and Mars Scientists are furthering the ability to detect caves on Earth, the moon and Mars by studying the conditions under which caves are detectable in thermal infrared. Finding caves on Earth is important for locating habitats of bats and other animal populations. Martian cave detection is vital to the search for lifeif life existed or exists on Mars, the best place to look will be underground. Scientists recently monitored two caves in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile and identified the conditions under which they were detectable in thermal infrared. Research was conducted by USGS scientists in collaboration with partners from Northern Arizona University and Chile's Universidad Católica del Norte and recently published in the journal Earth and Planetary Science Letters.