Chashmeh Khadar

General descriptions

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

Chashmeh / Cheshmeh Khadar (note 1) appears to be a natural, partly modified (-aménagée-), rift cave in a limestone pocket within paragneiss. It is a cave but not a source in the strict sense of the word (a place where ground water flows naturally out of the ground). In the lower chamber, however, water drops from all over the irregular ceiling. CAVE DESCRIPTION: The visitor steps down to enter a 5 or 6 m long narrow slot which leads into a small chamber (about 2 by 3.5 m wide, 2 m high). The cave floor is covered with soil, water and waste left by previous visitors. In April the water is up to 20 cm deep. The entire ceiling and walls of the chamber are beautifully decorated with speleothems (concrétiones mamelonées, 'cascades', petites draperies). Where the slot commences, ascends an about 2 m high rift squeeze without reaching the surface. CAVE LIFE: LINDBERG (1958: 112) colleted Turbellaires (Turbellaria?), Mollusca, Ostracoda, Cyclopida and Isopoda. JUBERTHIE & DECU (2001: 1745) list from Tchachmeh Khadar Crustacea: Ostracoda: Cyprididae: Cavernocypris subterranea WOLF = Cavernocypris lindbergi HARTMANN 1964.