Booming Ice Chasm

Booming Ice Chasm is an ice cave, located in the Crowsnest Pass area of the Rocky Mountains in Alberta, Canada. The entrance to Booming Ice Chasm was initially found by accident by members of the Alberta Speleological Society while attempting to reach a different cave in June, 2008. It was subsequently explored and mapped by the Alberta Speleological Society. Speleologist Chas Yonge considered that it is the largest ice cave in North America. The main shaft, although an inclined passage that is not completely vertical, is considered Canada's second deepest shaft due to the technical requirements of descent. It is a cold-trap cave whereby cold air enters through a bottleneck and is never able to escape, generating conditions for perennial ice. The result of this is that the entrance pitch and floor are covered in a dense, cascading glacier-like ice block and there is an underground, frozen waterfall and lake. It is speculated that Booming Ice Chasm may also hold potential as a source of new super antibiotics. This is because it is thought that a specialised species of microorganisms that have adapted to the closed and nutrient limited conditions of the cave.