Scientists discover world’s largest underground thermal lake in Albania

By Ahmet Gencturk

ATHENS (AA) - A team of Czech scientists has discovered the world’s largest underground thermal lake in Albania, according to Czech media.

The discovery came after years of exploration led by Czech speleologist Marek Audy, who had suspected the existence of a hidden thermal cave system in Albania’s southern Vromoner region, public broadcaster Radio Prague reported on Thursday.

While mapping the area, near the Greek border, and tracking steam from numerous heated springs, scientists discovered a 100-meter-deep (328-foot) abyss.

At its bottom, they found the lake, which measures 138 meters (452 feet) in length and 42 meters (137 feet) in width.

With a circumference of 345 meters (1,131 feet), the lake can hold roughly three times the water volume of the main hall of Prague’s National Theater.

Scientists say they now know that the surrounding hot springs are fed with water from the underground lake.

“We believe this discovery could also contribute to the protection of the whole area and to a better understanding of its hydrology, because to this day, nobody knows how exactly these underground waters are connected to the surface,” team member Richard Bouda, a photographer and speleologist, told Radio Prague.