TheTimesofIndia

Title:India'sfirstrecordeddrainedlavacavefoundinPune
Author:MihirBhanage
Location:
ArticleDate:12/24/2015
AteamofresearchersfromthecityhavefoundalavacaveatGhoradeshwarHillnearSomatnephata
ontheoutskirtsofPune.AccordingtotheteamofresearchersNikhilPawar,AmodKatikar,Sudha
Vaddadi,SumitraShinde,SharadRajguru,SachinJoshiandSanjayEksambekar,thisisthefirst
recordeddrainedlavatubefromtheDeccanVolcanicProvinceaswellasthecountry.Informingmore
aboutthesame,AmodKatikarsaid,TheDeccanVolcanicProvince(DVP)isoneofthelargest
volcanicformationsoftheworldandithasseverallavatubeswhereinlavaaccumulatedandfrozebut
thisisthefirsteverdrainedtubetobefoundinthecountry.
WhilestudyingTYBSc,AmodcameacrossacaveontheGhoradeshwarhillandlaterwithhis
classmateNikhilPawarhephotographedthelocation.WeshowedthephotostoSharadRajuguru
whoteachesattheDeccanCollegeofPostGraduateandResearchInstituteandhetoobecame
curious.NikhilandIwereonboardandthroughSharadsir,otherresearchersgotinvolvedandthe
studystarted.Afterrunningtestsonthesoilsamplesandothermaterials,weconfirmedthatthisisa
drainedlavatube.Justtobeverysure,wesentthefindingstoavolcanoexpertinAustraliaandhe
suggestedustosendthestudytotheInternationalJournalofSpeleology,saidKatikar.
Throughthejournal,theteamcametoknowthatthoughtheHawaiiislandsandAustraliahavemany
suchdrainedlavatubes,thiswasthefirstsuchgeographicalfeaturetoberecordedinIndia.