Sumganskaya cave

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The Sumganskaya cave (or Sumgan-Kutuk), the largest in the Urals, occupies a special position on the western slope of the Kibiz Ridge, 12 km west of Maksyutov. It begins with a shaft 70 meters deep. The cave is a complex labyrinth of horizontal and inclined galleries and grottoes, mostly confined to two levels located at a depth of 75 and 110 m from the surface.

The upper and lower levels are connected by two wells 30-35 m deep. An underground river 5 m wide and 2 m deep flows through the central gallery of the lower level. The cave is characterized by the large size of the grottoes and the abundance of fouling formations (more information: Cave Formation).

The temperature regime of the cave is peculiar, determined by the peculiarities of its structure. Cold air flowing down the shaft of the mine in winter time of the year strongly supercools the lower galleries.

In February, the air temperature in some places drops to 10°, and the difference between the coldest and warmest parts of the cave reaches 15.5°. Significant supercooling of the cave causes the accumulation of large masses of ice. In one of the galleries descending to the river, a powerful glacier 160 m long is formed. The glacier remains in the Naklonnomiy Grotto throughout the year.

Large ice stalagmites appear in many areas, and fabulously beautiful crystals of atmogenic origin are formed on the walls of the grotto due to the displacement of warm air from the cave.

In summer the air temperature rises somewhat, and in August varies from 1° to 5°,8 in different parts of the cave. The peculiarity of the cave is the intensive air circulation in all seasons of the year. The total length of the cave is 8000 m, depth 135 m, volume 200 thousand m3.