Etna South East – Territory: Zafferana Etnea
Coordinates:33S 505082E 4172001N (Utm Wgs84) | 37°41'42.8″N 15°03'27.5″E
ELEVATION: 1318 m
Development: approximately 60 m, total development to be verified.
Nearest known location: Grotta Acqua Vitale – Piano del Vescovo
Exploration: Only visitable with helmet and lights.
Taken over by: Dario and Cecilia Teri (on 14.6.2021)
Notified to the relevant municipality on \\
The Effimeral Cave takes its name from the particular circumstance that a few meters from the entrance on the floor there is a beautiful extrusion of lava coming out of an ephemeral mouth formed inside the same cavity, a situation that is quite rare on Etna. The cave is located about 200 meters as the crow flies from the SP92 road, therefore easy to reach, and not far from and apparently aligned with the Acqua Vitale cave, with which it is plausible, it could share the same lava channel that formed it.
The entrance to the cave is slightly underexposed compared to the level of the lava flow (er. 1792) in which it develops, for this reason perhaps the cave has been unexplored or at least little known, if not perhaps by local shepherds. The cave is accessed from a fairly large opening that immediately presents a narrowing of the vault that must be overcome on all fours. The sandy ground with a modest carpet of moss allows access that is not too difficult. Once this obstacle has been overcome, you can walk normally for the first 30 meters, where the ephemeral mouth mentioned above is also located. Numerous speleothems make the visit interesting, especially numerous barnacles (lava drips from the ceiling), flow striae and blisters (exploded and unexploded lava bubbles). On the right, a second channel develops from which you can access from a hole of about one meter by 30 cm, rather narrow and which seems to continue a discrete development of the cave towards the valley. Continuing instead on the main channel the cave gradually descends until it becomes very difficult to navigate and it would be necessary to crawl to continue the exploration. Overall a discrete development of over 1 meters is estimated. Further downstream in the same direction other small cavities and relative accesses from some holes of modest size have been detected, which could always be part of the same cave.
The entrance to the cave is slightly underexposed compared to the level of the lava flow (er. 1792) in which it develops, for this reason perhaps the cave has been unexplored or at least little known, if not perhaps by local shepherds. The cave is accessed from a fairly large opening that immediately presents a narrowing of the vault that must be overcome on all fours. The sandy ground with a modest carpet of moss allows access that is not too difficult. Once this obstacle has been overcome, you can walk normally for the first 30 meters, where the ephemeral mouth mentioned above is also located. Numerous speleothems make the visit interesting, especially numerous barnacles (lava drips from the ceiling), flow striae and blisters (exploded and unexploded lava bubbles). On the right, a second channel develops from which you can access from a hole of about one meter by 30 cm, rather narrow and which seems to continue a discrete development of the cave towards the valley. Continuing instead on the main channel the cave gradually descends until it becomes very difficult to navigate and it would be necessary to crawl to continue the exploration. Overall a discrete development of over 1 meters is estimated. Further downstream in the same direction other small cavities and relative accesses from some holes of modest size have been detected, which could always be part of the same cave.
At the time of exploration there was no sign or evidence of human passage. The cavity is probably known to the shepherds of the area, however the difficulty of access must have precluded its visit or use as with other cavities.
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Dario Teri
3 October 2021
Unseen & Little-Known Etna Caves
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