A new cave has been found on the second largest island in the Azores – Pico. Discovered during electrification works, the cavern is rich in geological structures, according to the regional government.
The discovery was announced on 13 December by the Azores Regional Secretary for Environment and Climate Action, Alonso Miguel. Housing Portugal’s highest mountain, the new cave adds another layer to the Iland of Pico, which was recognised as World Heritage by UNESO in 2004 thanks to its lava fields.
The discovery of the Santana Cave is further evidence of the geological and biological richness of the archipelago, a unique heritage that deserves to be studied, protected and valued.
Alonso Miguel, Azores Regional Secretary for Environment and Climate Action
Gruta de Santana, as the cave has been called, measures around 170 metres in length and with a height that varies between 70 centimetres and 5 meters and a width between 2 and 5 meters. It was found following electrification works carried out by the regional electricity company – Eletricidade dos Açores (EDA), in the Santana area of the São Roque do Pico Municipality.
“After EDA contacted the Environment and Climate Action Service of Pico Island, a team of technicians and Nature Watchers went to the scene,” Miguel said on a visit to the site. “Various pieces of information were collected and a cartographic sketch of the cave’s layout was drawn up in order to understand its location on the ground and ensure that the work to be carried out would not cause additional disturbances to this volcanic cavity.”
The cavern presents a structurally well-preserved geological heritage, with only small collapses in the walls, in addition to several important geological structures, such as stalactites, gas bubbles, side benches, small overlapping tubes, lava balls and striated walls, the regional government explained in a press release.
“In addition, the biological presence of colonies of bacteria, arachnids, roots and bones of small animals were identified, and this set of characteristics highlights the scientific and natural value of the cave, which requires special attention for its preservation,” Miguel added.
The Regional Secretary recognized the scientific interest in preserving some of these formations, which led to the classification, in the Azores, of four volcanic cavities as Natural Monuments: Algar do Carvão, in Terceira; Furna do Enxofre, in Graciosa; the Gruta das Torres, in Pico, and the Gruta do Carvão, in São Miguel.
There are around 340 natural volcanic caves throughout the Azores that have been documented, albeit not all of them are visible or open to the public. Almost a half of these are located on the Island of Pico, where 145 caverns had been identified before the discovery of the Gruta de Santana in December.
