FASCINATING VOLCANIC CAVES AT THE MASAYA NATIONAL PARK, NICARAGUA: FAR FROM THE RHETORIC, CLOSER TO REALITY

After the XII Central American Geological Congress in November 2015 there was an opportunity to analyze some volcanoes in Nicaragua, including the Masaya Volcano or Popogatepe (which in Chorotega language means "burning mountain") caldera with two volcanoes and five craters, Santiago, Nindiri, San Pedro, San Fernando and San Juan.

The main cave is from the crater Santiago to the Lake; it is a very young volcanic cave that has signs of the flow of two important events, as shown by its walls. Also, these caves are known as lava tubes.

There the cave’s name is “Cueva de Tzinaconostoc”, The Upper part of cave begins

in crater Santiago but not has access for security given the high presence of gases like carbon dioxide (CO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), among others. The intermediate portion is adapted for visitors in a section of 180 m. with an entrance diameter of 4 m., and the end of this section reaches 17 m. High x 9 m. Wide at the site of collapse. The final section of the cave access is restricted to qualified and duly authorized government personnel.

These caverns have several uses, such as scientific research, myths of spells, cemetery, and sometimes war refugee camp.

The initial findings were of mineralization, erosion of rock in a water droplet pattern similar to stalactites karstification, in this case made of basalt rock and basalt solutions. Also, we see Alohe Alohe lavas on the floor and type AA on the ceilings.

We find living plants with signs of chlorophyll but living without sunlight. Some thin, long and strong hanging roots of plants. Strong, deep roots of trees (80 m?) such as Fickus. Another important finding is of flying mammals, fruit eaters, pollinators, those are very harmless animals who come out in the evenings in flocks of thousands being beneficial species, although the name causes alarm, we are referring to bats.

Finally, the Santiago’s crater was named "The Mouth of Hell" and during the 16th century Spanish people put a cross, "La Cruz de Bobadilla" at the mouth of the crater to exorcise the demon because native people had stories about witchcraft and sorcery.