Our beloved planet earth has many places full of Mystery without any doubt. Portugal, which is also the home of Cristiano Ronaldo, is no alternative to it.
There is a place named Algar do Carvao in the European country of Portugal. This majestic place is one of the most beautiful places in Europe, without any doubt.
It is a mysterious ancient lava tube or volcanic vent. This place is in the central part of the island of Terceira. The beautiful island is in the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores.
There are many things to know about this place in the European country of Portugal. Let’s know in detail about this fascinating place.
Things to Know About Algar do Carvao
Algar is a Portuguese word that means a natural cavity in the earth. It is more vertical in its orientation, like a well, unlike most caves or caverns.
This Portuguese word derives from an Arabic word, al-Gar, which means crease. Another word Carvao means coal in Portuguese. But the Algar do Carvao is not a source of coal.
This word refers to the dark composition of the rocks. Many people knew about this place on the island for a long time. But they failed to explore it because of the depth and lack of ambient light.
It is a vertical place and was hard to explore for this reason. Because of these reasons, the exploration of this place faced delay.
The first descent of this place happened on 26 January 1893. Cândido Corvelo and Luis Sequeira first explored it. They did it with the use of a simple rope.
A man named Didier Couto made the second descent. He produced the first rough map of the interior. His drawing of the map was on visual observation alone.
But the drawing turned out to be so accurate, without any doubt. A group of enthusiasts organized another descent using a chair platform on 18 August 1963.
It was possible to re-examine the observations with the help of portable lighting. It includes the most remote and narrow sections of the cavern.
The site was open to the public in the late 20th century. Access to the site is also possible through the Montanheiros organization.
They are responsible for matters associated with the Algar. The island of Terceira is the site of four large volcanoes.
These are Pico Alto, Santa Bárbara, Guilherme Moniz, and Cinco Picos. They grouped along a basaltic fissure zone.
It transects the island from northwest to southeast. The Algar do Carvão has a connection with the caldera of the Guilherme Moniz volcano.
Santa Barbara is to the west, and Pico Alto is to the north of this place. Guilherme Moniz is on the south of this site.
The location of this natural wonder is 583 meters above sea level. The 40.5 hectares extent was famous as a Regional National Monument.
It is due to its peculiar volcano logical characteristics, besides its environmental ecosystem. The mouth of the Algar consists of 45 meters vertical passage to the interior.
It reaches a ramp of debris and gravel. From here, there is another decline in the clear waters of the interior pool.
It is approximately 90 meters from the level surface. Rainwater supports the pool. It can reach as deep as 15 meters depth.
World has seen many volcanic eruptions that changed many things. Sometimes volcanic eruptions kill humans and animals and sometimes build something majestic.
Volcano has made many big and small islands with their lava and ashes. This majestic place of Portugal is the creation of a volcanic eruption.
There is a story related to the discovery of this majestic place. The story is about a farmer. He was the owner of many animals. Some of his animals disappeared in the area.
He started to find his animals and thought that someone was stealing. But he found a fascinating truth. The truth is that there was a big volcanic vent or tube in the area.
His animals disappear because they fall into this hole. It was the moment when people knew about this majestic place. There is a population of rich plant tapestry in the Algar.
It covers the mouth of the cone structure. These plants include various endemic species. Besides these, several invertebrate species make the cavern their homes.
There is also a distinct presence of various moss. It includes those on the Red Data Book of European Bryophytes (ECCB).
Conclusion
These are the things to know about Algar Do Carvao. Many people visit this majestic creation of a volcano from different countries.
It is not wrong to consider this place a natural wonder of Europe. It has every element for becoming a natural wonder, without any doubt.
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