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Leviathan Cave, also known as the Grotte de Leviathan,[1] is a lava tube in eastern Kenya first discovered in 1975.[2] Although it has been segmented by the movement of tectonic plates, the overall length of the lava tube spans a distance of 11.5 km (7.1 mi).[3] It is the longest and deepest known lava tube in Africa.[2]
Leviathan Cave is located in the Chyulu Hills National Park at the edge of the Nyiri Desert, which is found northwest of Tsavo West National Park.[3][4]
In the 1980s, Leviathan Cave was the third-longest known lava tube in the world.[5] However, modern surveys have found newer, longer tubes, and have located longer passages of known tubes. Leviathan Cave is still the longest tube in Africa, but is only the 11th-longest lava tube in the world.[6]
Leviathan Cave is divided into two sections, the Upper Leviathan and the Lower Leviathan. The Upper Leviathan is 9,152 m (30,026 ft) long, with a depth of 408 m (1,339 ft).[5] The Lower Leviathan is 2,071 m (6,795 ft) long, with a depth of 70 m (230 ft).[5] These segments are considered separately when ranking the length of the Leviathan, per international standard.[5]
Like all lava tubes, Leviathan Cave was formed by hot lava flowing beneath a cooled crust.[7]
- Kazumura Cave – world's longest lava tube in Hawaii
- Mau-Mau Cave – another Kenyan cave
- Kitum Cave – Kenyan cave "mined" by elephants for salt
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