AMARSANG (Krem)

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

A north facing cave entrance (6 m wide and 3 m high) gives access to a stream cave passage, which drains generally southwards and contains secondary calcite formations (speleothems) including brown flowstone, stalagmites, and draperies (Zawada W M 2012.12.15-19 survey book) or large rust-colored flowstone curtains, rimstone dams as well as stalagmites and stalactites (Zawada 2013.02.01 Mss: Discovery). ETYMOLOGY: No specific name has been identified for this cave called after the not exactly nearby but 2.5 km distant village of Amarsang. SETTING: Above the western (orographically right) bank of the Um Durliang, the Plate-shaped River (note 1) and formed in Upper to Middle Eocene (Upper Sylhet stage) Siju Limestone (SAINI & BHATTACHARYA 1999) or in fossiliferous Siju Limestone rich in ammonite fossils (Zawada 2013.02.01 Mss: Discovery).SITUATION: The cave entrance lies 2.5 km in a direct line (about 4 km on foot) approximately southeast from the village of Amarsang (note 2). CAVE DESCRPTION 2012 (note 6): The bouldery, north facing cave entrance (6 m wide and 3 m high), obviously formed due to the collapse of the original cave walls and ceiling, gives access to the top of Hati's Staircase (note 3), which descends steeply (35°) across a bouldery slope down into the cave passage proper, some 25 m to 30 m below the level of the cave entrance. Flowing water, issuing from beneath the boulders covering the floor, is first met with about 150 m from the entrance along the passage. Some 350 m from the cave entrance continuously SSW (210°) the initial, generally level cave passage (average slope ±0°) is lost in what was christened the Crayfish Citadel or, in Khasi, Kut Shymprong (note 4), where one branch climbs 8 m up SSW and leads to impenetrable, mud-choked continuations, whilst the accessible part of the cave continues as The Blades or -Ki Syrti- (note 5) from here downstream at a steeper dip (on average -3.5°) generally SSE as an active stream cave passage with relatiely big fish and many wells (Kharpran Daly, B D 2012.12.31 personal correspondence) or succession of symmetrical dissolutional potholes separated by razor sharp edges (Zawada 2013.02.01 Mss: Discovery). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2012.12.31: With regard to Krem Amarsang … I have never encountered so many deep wells as in this cave. … Swimming in the wells and coming out over the sharp edges was tricky (Kharpran Daly, B D 2012.12.31 personal correspondence). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2013: … a spectacular river cave, Krem Amarsang (krem = cave, Khasi language), formed in fossiliferous Siju Limestone rich in ammonite fossils. The cave entrance (360 m asl), located deep in the jungle, is adorned with pendants, and leads steeply over large boulders to a lower gallery where a stream emerges from under the breakdown. The cave is decorated with large rust-colored flowstone curtains, rimstone dams as well as stalagmites and stalactites.Uniquely, much of the course of the underground river follows a succession o symmetrical dissolutional potholes with diameters often exceeding three meters indicating substantial volume and velocity of water. Margins where consecutive potholes meet form razor sharp edges. Beyond the second 3.5-meter waterfall, the river passage bifurcates, and the “C” survey leads to wood-boring Teredo mollusk (shipworm) fossils near C10. The cave was partly mapped (length = 743 m; depth = -40 m) with both river passages continuing with no end in sight. Horseshoe bats, fish, crayfish, snails, spiders, and crickets were observed (Zawada 2013.02.01 Mss: Discovery). CAVE POTENTIAL 2012.12.31: With regard to Krem Amarsang I would think it would probably exit somewhere in Soling [note 7] … It is going strong both ways (Kharpran Daly, B D 2012.12.31 personal correspondence). CAVE POTENTIAL 2013.02.02: During December 2012 … the cave was partly mapped (length = 743 m; depth = -40 m) with both river passages continuing with no end in sight (Zawada 2013.02.01 Mss: Discovery). CAVE CLIATE: Somehow measured with an unidentified device had been on Wednesday 19th December 2012 an unspecified air or water cave temperature at change beach 22°C (Zawada, W M 2012.12.16 page 1 of 5 survey book). CAVE LIFE: Wojciech Michal -Mike- Zawada noticed between 16th and 19th December 2012 inside Krem Amarsang the presence of horseshoe bats, fish, crayfish, snails, spiders, and crickets (Zawada 2013.02.01 Mss: Discovery). Gastropoda: C10 A tiny cave (white) snail --this size @-- below th cable ladder (Zawada, W M 2012.12.19 page 3 of 5 survey book). Arachnidae: Araneae: A26 Two climbs up from the survey stations A26 and A27 on a certain Louis Fishing Hole lead to a Spider's Heaven (Zawada, W M 2012.12.16 page 14 of 14 survey book). Crustacea: Malacostrata: Decapoda: A21 A marginal note close to a capitalised CRAYFISH CITADEL reads rimstone pool with two small and white crayfish (Zawada, W M 2012.12.16 page 12 of 14 survey book). Pisces: A27 A certain fish large grey has eyes 6- lon (Zawada, W M 2012.12.16 page 13 of 14 survey book) and surmise that it was rather the fish itself than it's eyes which were six inch or an estimated 15.25 cm long. A29 12- fish almost white (Zawada, W M 2012.12.16 page 13 of 14 survey book) probably in the sense of almost unpigmented (pale coloured) fish, an estimated twelve inch or 30.5 cm long. C12 whitish fish (Zawada, W M 2012.12.19 page 4 of 5 survey book).Chiroptera: C3 bat flying (Zawada, W M 2012.12.19 page 3 of 5 survey book).ATE: Somehow measured with an unidentified device had been on Wednesday 19th December 2012 an unspecified air or water cave temperature at change beach 22°C (Zawada, W M 2012.12.16 page 1 of 5 survey book). CAVE LIFE: Wojciech Michal -Mike- Zawada noticed between 16th and 19th December 2012 inside Krem Amarsang the presence of horseshoe bats, fish, crayfish, snails, spiders, and crickets (Zawada 2013.02.01 Mss: Discovery). Gastropoda: C10 A tiny cave (white) snail --this size @-- below th cable ladder (Zawada, W M 2012.12.19 page 3 of 5 survey book). Arachnidae: Araneae: A26 Two climbs up from the survey stations A26 and A27 on a certain Louis Fishing Hole lead to a Spider's Heaven (Zawada, W M 2012.12.16 page 14 of 14 survey book). Crustacea: Malacostrata: Decapoda: A21 A marginal note close to a capitalised CRAYFISH CITADEL reads rimstone pool with two small and white crayfish (Zawada, W M 2012.12.16 page 12 of 14 survey book). Pisces: A27 A certain fish large grey has eyes 6- lonATE: Somehow measured with an unidentified device had been on Wednesday 19th December 2012 an unspecified air or water cave temperature at change beach 22°C (Zawada, W M 2012.12.16 page 1 of 5 survey book). CAVE LIFE: Wojciech Michal -Mike- Zawada noticed between 16th and 19th December 2012 inside Krem Amarsang the presence of horseshoe bats, fish, crayfish, snails, spiders, and crickets (Zawada 2013.02.01 Mss: Discovery). Gastropoda: C10 A tiny cave (white) snail --this size @-- below th cable ladder (Zawada, W M 2012.12.19 page 3 of 5 survey book). Arachnidae: Araneae: A26 Two climbs up from the survey stations A26 and A27 on a certain Louis Fishing Hole lead to a Spider's Heaven (Zawada, W M 2012.12.16 page 14 of 14 survey book). Crustacea: Malacostrata: Decapoda: A21 A marginal note close to a capitalised CRAYFISH CITADEL reads rimstone pool with two small and white crayfish (Zawada, W M 2012.12.16 page 12 of 14 survey book). Pisces: A27 A certain fish large grey has eyes 6- lonATE: Somehow measured with an unidentified device had been on Wednesday 19th December 2012 an unspecified air or water cave temperature at change beach 22°C (Zawada, W M 2012.12.16 page 1 of 5 survey book). CAVE LIFE: Wojciech Michal -Mike- Zawada noticed between 16th and 19th December 2012 inside Krem Amarsang the presence of horseshoe bats, fish, crayfish, snails, spiders, and crickets (Zawada 2013.02.01 Mss: Discovery). Gastropoda: C10 A tiny cave (white) snail --this size @-- below th cable ladder (Zawada, W M 2012.12.19 page 3 of 5 survey book). Arachnidae: Araneae: A26 Two climbs up from the survey stations A26 and A27 on a certain Louis Fishing Hole lead to a Spider's Heaven (Zawada, W M 2012.12.16 page 14 of 14 survey book). Crustacea: Malacostrata: Decapoda: A21 A marginal note close to a capitalised CRAYFISH CITADEL reads rimstone pool with two small and white crayfish (Zawada, W M 2012.12.16 page 12 of 14 survey book). Pisces: A27 A certain fish large grey has eyes 6- lonATE: Somehow measured with an unidentified device had been on Wednesday 19th December 2012 an unspecified air or water cave temperature at change beach 22°C (Zawada, W M 2012.12.16 page 1 of 5 survey book). CAVE LIFE: Wojciech Michal -Mike- Zawada noticed between 16th and 19th December 2012 inside Krem Amarsang the presence of horseshoe bats, fish, crayfish, snails, spiders, and crickets (Zawada 2013.02.01 Mss: Discovery). Gastropoda: C10 A tiny cave (white) snail --this size @-- below th cable ladder (Zawada, W M 2012.12.19 page 3 of 5 survey book). Arachnidae: Araneae: A26 Two climbs up from the survey stations A26 and A27 on a certain Louis Fishing Hole lead to a Spider's Heaven (Zawada, W M 2012.12.16 page 14 of 14 survey book). Crustacea: Malacostrata: Decapoda: A21 A marginal note close to a capitalised CRAYFISH CITADEL reads rimstone pool with two small and white crayfish (Zawada, W M 2012.12.16 page 12 of 14 survey book). Pisces: A27 A certain fish large grey has eyes 6- lonATE: Somehow measured with an unidentified device had been on Wednesday 19th December 2012 an unspecified air or water cave temperature at change beach 22°C (Zawada, W M 2012.12.16 page 1 of 5 survey book). CAVE LIFE: Wojciech Michal -Mike- Zawada noticed between 16th and 19th December 2012 inside Krem Amarsang the presence of horseshoe bats, fish, crayfish, snails, spiders, and crickets (Zawada 2013.02.01 Mss: Discovery). Gastropoda: C10 A tiny cave (white) snail --this size @-- below th cable ladder (Zawada, W M 2012.12.19 page 3 of 5 survey book). Arachnidae: Araneae: A26 Two climbs up from the survey stations A26 and A27 on a certain Louis Fishing Hole lead to a Spider's Heaven (Zawada, W M 2012.12.16 page 14 of 14 survey book). Crustacea: Malacostrata: Decapoda: A21 A marginal note close to a capitalised CRAYFISH CITADEL reads rimstone pool with two small and white crayfish (Zawada, W M 2012.12.16 page 12 of 14 survey book). Pisces: A27 A certain fish large grey has eyes 6- lon (Zawada, W M 2012.12.16 page 13 of 14 survey book) and surmise that it was rather the fish itself than it's eyes which were six inch or an estimated 15.25 cm long. A29 12- fish almost white (Zawada, W M 2012.12.16 page 13 of 14 survey book) probably in the sense of almost unpigmented (pale coloured) fish, an estimated twelve inch or 30.5 cm long. C12 whitish fish (Zawada, W M 2012.12.19 page 4 of 5 survey book).Chiroptera: C3 bat flying (Zawada, W M 2012.12.19 page 3 of 5 survey book).