The Martin Ridge Cave System is a large cave

Cave

A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...

 near Mammoth Cave, Kentucky

Kentucky

The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...

. The system, composed of the interconnected Whigpistle, Martin Ridge, and Jackpot Caves, has been mapped to over 55 kilometres (34.2 mi), and is currently the United States' eleventh longest cave.

Discovery

The original entrance to the system, Whigpistle Cave, was discovered by Rick Schwartz in 1976. Mapping was initiated by the National Park Service

National Park Service

The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...

 under the supervision of park hydrologist Jim Quinlan in an effort to better understand the hydrology of Mammoth Cave's watershed.

Significance

Surveyed so far to over 55 kilometres (34.2 mi), the Martin Ridge Cave System is ranked as 3rd longest in Kentucky, 11th longest in the United States, and 47th longest in the world. The cave also contains what is likely the largest cave chamber in Kentucky, the Big Womb. The Big Womb measures 240 meters (780 feet) long, 40 meters (130 feet) wide, and 13 meters (40 feet) high. The cave possesses an intimate hydrologic connection with nearby Mammoth Cave. Groundwater dye tracing has shown that water flowing from Mammoth Cave's Hawkins River emerges downstream at a river within Martin Ridge Cave. The unexplored section between Mammoth Cave and the Martin Ridge Cave System is underwater and will require cave diving

Cave diving

Cave diving is a type of technical diving in which specialized equipment is used to enable the exploration of caves which are at least partially filled with water. In the United Kingdom it is an extension of the more common sport of caving, and in the United States an extension of the more common...

 to determine whether a traversable physical connection is possible.

Connections

In 1994, explorers from the James Cave Project discovered Jackpot Cave to the east of the Whigpistle entrance. Their efforts mapped over three miles (5 km) of new cave.

In 1996, Western Kentucky University

Western Kentucky University

Western Kentucky University is a public university in Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA. It was formally founded by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1906, though its roots reach back a quarter-century earlier....

graduate students Alan Glennon and Jon Jasper discovered a new entrance and eight miles (12.5 km) of cave passage. Their exploration revealed connections to Jackpot in June 1996 and Whigpistle in August 1996.

Current Exploration

Efforts continue to explore and map the cave. The Martin Ridge Cave System is separated from Mammoth Cave by a deep valley, though a human connection may be possible at the caves' lowest elevation passageways. Currently, at least a kilometer (3000 feet) gap exists between the two caves' closest reaches.