Caves and their study

Are examined the contemporary state of the study of caves in the world, the mastery of caves in the Mongolia, the brief survey of studies of the author is given. Caves as natural phenomenon since olden times attracted attention of people and special societies at present deal with their study in the world, scientifically - research institutes moreover their study becomes ever more complex considering caves as entire topographical complexes.

The study of caves from the point of view of the material culture of man simultaneously energetically is developed. The greatest contribution to the study of caves American and Russian scientists introduced. Are so at the present time studied more than 4000 different caves in the USA, about 6000 in the Russian Federation. The efforts of the speleologists and other scientific specialties were directed to the study of questions of morphology and morphometry of caves, their climatic and hydrological special features, plant and animal population, problems of origin, classification and practical significance of this natural objective. It is necessary to recognize that in this matter the important significance transactions of the Russian scientists had: Maksimovich G.A (1969, 1960), Chekishev A.G (1973), Gergedova B.A (1949, 1970), Murashvili L.CH (1969), Dublyanski (1971, 1977), and Andreychuk B.N (1985). One cannot fail to mention and the role Russian scientific B.P Semenova - Tyanshanski (1928), N.A. Gvozdetski (1948, 1972, and 1978), etc. in the examination of caves as independent landsaft categories. It is established that the caves on their origin can be subdivided on 2 categories: natural and artificial. Natural caves are formed as a result erosionally - suffused of the activity of water, as a result of processes of the wind erosion and eroded, as a result of volcanic activity, as a result of sea abrasion.
Is most significant the suffuse activity of water, which intensively is manifested in the regions of the spread of the readily soluble carbonate rocks - limestones, of the marble, gypsum, of feldspar and others.
In this case the so-called karst caves, which use preferred propagation both in the countries with the moist climate and in the countries with a comparatively dry climate, are formed.
As a result it is erosional - the suffuse activity of water are formed the empty space, which have the form sometimes of the significant sizes of halls, their connecting corridors. Sometimes caves occur shaped like a well funnels. Other types of caves are characterized by smaller sizes; they do not have the branched halls and corridors.
The morphological special feature of karst caves is formation in halls and corridors of the accumulation, which frequently reach large sizes and to come into existence stalactites and stalagmites. They acquire whimsical forms and attract attention of researchers and tourists.
To the artificial caves carry the empty space, which were being formed as a result of the activity of man - the development of coal and others minerals, underground fire, explosions and so on.
In the Mongolia the caves are studied extremely insufficiently, until now it is very small literature on this question. Although in our country there are numerous caves and they interested people from the old times, the beginning to their scientific study marked foreign researchers.
Of them there was first A.D.Simukov, which together with topographer F.F.Bolshakov, and by collector B. Bol'shevoy investigated the cave of Gurvanzeerd, find in Umnogobi aimak. They for the first time gave the sufficiently detailed description of the morphology of cave, noted that it in the course of long time served as refuge for the man.
Together with the study of caves from a speleological point of view, foreign scientists paid considerable attention to their study from the point of view of the material culture of man. One of such well-known researchers was Russian archaeologist the professor A.P. Okladnikov. Heading by them Mongolian - Soviet of historical - cultural expedition in 1966 in detail studied the stone figures of the cave of Khoid Tsenkher and indicated that the independent powerful center of the ancient culture of humanity here was located.
The independent studies of caves by Mongolian scientists and by specialists began since 1951, when well-known geographer O.Namnandorj investigated the same Khoyd Tsenkher and for the first time published the stone figures, subsequently studied By Okladnikov. Following it in a study of caves were included young then the instructors of Mongolian state university and state pedagogical university.
So in 1968 year J.Gan - Ochir, Ya.Bold, Minzhin and Chimid they visited the cave of Khetsuu teeg (Dornogobi aimak) and gave its description. By a special study of the famous cave of Dayandeerkh was occupied SH. Dubjir. Appeared the information also about other known caves – Taliin agui, Shar khanan, Ergeneg, Khetsuu teeg and others.
For the purpose to draw the attention of people to the caves in 1986 the geographers P.Tsolmon and O.Sukhbaatar published the brochure "caves", in which they gave the concept about the caves, described some large caves of Mongolia.
From 1988 year the Institute of the geography of the MAS began the organization of small expeditions for studying the caves. From 1988 year to 1998 year to different regions of the country were directed 8 such expeditions, which inspected more than 100 caves in the territory 16 aimaks. They were the beginning of the systematic complex study of caves, included in the program of their works not only morphological descriptions, but also morphometric definitions, observation of the microclimatic regime, mapping, the characteristic of plant and animal, the study of the possibilities of economic use. By expedition was carried out also traveling papers of caves.
As a result of the work both of domestic and foreign scientists at the present time we have the specific information already about more than 500 caves. The author deals with a study of caves in the course of more than 10 years, he participated in all 8 expeditions of the Institute of the geography of the MAS of Mongolia, personally researched more than 150 caves. The first microclimatic observations, realized by an instrument method, belong to it. By them is comprised the list of caves, an attempt at their classification according to the genetic and morphological signs is made.