THE SERPENTINE GALLERY

The river here is full of energy !
Rushing waterfalls and limpid pools (water holes) follow one upon the other.
Its many twists and turns have earned this impetuous river has earned the name of Serpentine.

It almost seems to come to a dead end, but this is only an impression, and a tunnel leads us on to yet further discoveries.

Can we read the story of the past on a stalactite ?
Can we find out what the future holds for our planet by counting the drops of water ?
We have to remember that before it reaches the caves the water has to travel across the various layers of the atmosphere, then the vegetation. In doing so it picks up certain "souvenirs" that it brings with it to the cave.

Here the scientists from the University of Savoie have fitted the stalactites with sensors to count the number of drops of water, and can detect when the water is drinkable. They even take tiny bore samples from the build-up of material to read the climate 5,500 years ago. Or even better they use laser imaging techniques to detect traces left by our ancestors, and have discovered that there used to be tidal activity on dry land. 

| Start > Entrance chamber > Siphon gallery >
Serpentine gallerie > The cathedral >
Olm salamander |