Sarma Cave | |
---|---|
Location | Abkhazia,[note 1] Georgia |
Coordinates | 43°24′N 40°21′E / 43.400°N 40.350°E |
Depth | 1,830 m (6,000 ft)[1] |
Geology | Limestone |
Sarma Cave (Georgian: სარმის მღვიმე), located in Gagra District of Abkhazia,[note 1] a breakaway region of Georgia, is the third deepest recorded cave in the world. Its current depth (1830 m) was measured in 2012 by a team led by Pavel Rudko.[2]
The cave was discovered in 1990 by caver Sergey Shipitsin during a research expedition of the Arabica caving club led by Alexander Osintsev.
Two species of stygobiont amphipods have been found: Zenkevitchia sandroruffoi[3] living at depths of no more than -350 m and found in other caves of eastern Arabika Massif, in Troika Cave (at -30 m) and in Eagle's Nest Cave (-75 m), and Adaugammarus pilosus[4] inhabiting aquatic biotopes in the deep part of the cave (elevations -1270 m and -1700 m).[5]