(Los Angeles Times) Edmund Sanders - The prehistoric Soreq Cave, discovered in 1968 on the slopes of Israel's Judean Mountains, is packed with stunning natural sculptures formed by hundreds of thousands of years of mineral-rich water drops slowly leaving behind a rock residue. On the roof is a hanging forest of different-sized rods, resembling icicles, giant carrots, elephant trunks and twisting octopus tentacles. Rising up to meet them from the limestone floor are 30-foot sand castles, spiraling rock towers and billowy hills that resemble coral reefs or heads of cauliflower. A recent ecological makeover has added a spectacular lighting system, programmed to change every few minutes. By using only a limited part of the color spectrum of light and focusing on certain shades of orange, blue and green, scientists are betting the new system will eradicate one of the cave's biggest threats: algae. "Just by opening the cave, we changed it and hurt it, so we're always thinking about what's best ecologically for the cave," said Tomer Saragusti, manager of the Soreq Cave Nature Reserve. "And it's working. The cave is still alive and growing."
2012-09-21 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive