ROLA-MOÇA CAVES

It is estimated that in the Iron Quadrangle alone there are about 1,500 iron ore caves. Only here in the Rola-Moça Mountains State Park, 53 caves have already been recorded.

These caves are located in different compartments, from the low slopes to the crest of the mountain range, at altitudes ranging from 1,305 to 1,480 meters. The cave entrances aremainly distributed along the edges of the canga covers. Skylight entrances are also frequent and occur when the cave is very close to the surface of the canga.

Most iron caves are shallow and small. Here in Rola-Moça Mountains State Park, they generally have less than 20 m of horizontal projection, and the longest known is about 70 meters. These caves are, for the most part, formed by single halls with appendages that funnel into small channels.

Studies and faunal inventories carried out in iron caves here in the park have revealed a diverse fauna, including the occurrence of nine troglobitic species, that is, restricted to the subterranean environment.

It is worth mentioning that these caves began to be formed more than 35 million years ago and make up the Brazilian environmental heritage of great importance!