What Scientists Found Beneath Kentucky Is Far Bigger Than Expected

Kentucky is hiding far more beneath the surface than most people realize.

Along Interstate 69, crews discovered an abandoned underground coal mine less than 20 feet beneath the roadway after the ground failed for a second time. The mine wasn’t properly recorded, and falling groundwater levels may have helped weaken the support below the highway.

But Kentucky’s underground story is much bigger. Around two-thirds of the state’s population lives in karst country, where limestone slowly dissolves into caves, underground rivers and sinkholes. Mammoth Cave alone now stretches for more than 426 mapped miles, while newer LiDAR and geological surveys continue revealing features older maps missed.

In this DiscoverTube documentary, we explore the hidden mines, collapsing ground, giant cave systems and underground waterways that make Kentucky one of America’s most unusual geological landscapes.

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