Movile Cave
Encyclopedia
Movile Cave is a cave in Constanţa County
, Romania
discovered by Cristian Lascu in 1986 a few kilometers from the Black Sea
coast. It is notable for its unique groundwater ecosystem rich in hydrogen sulfide
and carbon dioxide
but very poor in oxygen
. Life in the cave has been separated from the outside for the past 5.5 million years and it is based completely on chemosynthesis
rather than photosynthesis
.
The air in the cave is very different from the outer atmosphere. The level of oxygen is only a third to half of the concentration found in open air (7-10% O2 in the Cave atmosphere, compared to 21% O2 in air), and about one hundred times more carbon dioxide (2-3.5% CO2 in the Cave atmosphere, versus 0.03% CO2 in air). It also contains 1-2% methane (CH4) and both the air and waters of the Cave contain high concentrations of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and ammonia (NH3).
48 species, among them leeches, spiders, scorpions and insects, were found inside the cave, of which 33 are endemic.
Constanta County
Constanța is the name of a county in the Dobruja region of Romania. Its capital city is also named Constanța.-Demographics:In 2002, it had a population of 715,151 and the population density was 101/km². The degree of urbanization is much higher than the Romanian average. In recent years the...
, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
discovered by Cristian Lascu in 1986 a few kilometers from the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
coast. It is notable for its unique groundwater ecosystem rich in hydrogen sulfide
Hydrogen sulfide
Hydrogen sulfide is the chemical compound with the formula . It is a colorless, very poisonous, flammable gas with the characteristic foul odor of expired eggs perceptible at concentrations as low as 0.00047 parts per million...
and carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide is a naturally occurring chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalently bonded to a single carbon atom...
but very poor in oxygen
Oxygen
Oxygen is the element with atomic number 8 and represented by the symbol O. Its name derives from the Greek roots ὀξύς and -γενής , because at the time of naming, it was mistakenly thought that all acids required oxygen in their composition...
. Life in the cave has been separated from the outside for the past 5.5 million years and it is based completely on chemosynthesis
Chemosynthesis
In biochemistry, chemosynthesis is the biological conversion of one or more carbon molecules and nutrients into organic matter using the oxidation of inorganic molecules or methane as a source of energy, rather than sunlight, as in photosynthesis...
rather than photosynthesis
Photosynthesis
Photosynthesis is a chemical process that converts carbon dioxide into organic compounds, especially sugars, using the energy from sunlight. Photosynthesis occurs in plants, algae, and many species of bacteria, but not in archaea. Photosynthetic organisms are called photoautotrophs, since they can...
.
The air in the cave is very different from the outer atmosphere. The level of oxygen is only a third to half of the concentration found in open air (7-10% O2 in the Cave atmosphere, compared to 21% O2 in air), and about one hundred times more carbon dioxide (2-3.5% CO2 in the Cave atmosphere, versus 0.03% CO2 in air). It also contains 1-2% methane (CH4) and both the air and waters of the Cave contain high concentrations of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and ammonia (NH3).
48 species, among them leeches, spiders, scorpions and insects, were found inside the cave, of which 33 are endemic.