The American magazine "NSS News" published an article in its December 2024 issue about a French speleological expedition to Koytendag, which took place in April of the same year. The article details the expedition's objectives, the work carried out, and the unique discoveries made.

The expedition, organized with the assistance of the Embassy of Turkmenistan in France and the Ministry of Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan, included 17 specialists in various fields: topography, photogrammetry, biospeleology, geology, and karstology. The main objectives were to document already known caves and to search for new ones.

As the authors of the article note, a significant amount of work was completed in 21 days. Approximately 19 km of cave systems were surveyed, 8,571 topographic measurements were taken, and sections previously documented by Russian speleologists were mapped. In the Gulshirin (Geophysical) cave, 3D photogrammetric modeling was carried out to create an accurate digital copy of the cave for scientific and educational purposes.

"We used modern technologies such as the Disto X laser rangefinder and the Topodroid application to significantly improve the accuracy and efficiency of mapping", the expedition members reported.

The French team also focused its efforts on searching for new caves. Small gypsum systems and individual passages several dozen meters long were found in the northwestern part of the massif. However, a significant portion of the canyons proved difficult to access or contained no promising entrances. In the east, the researchers reached the snowy peak of Ayrybaba. There, at an altitude of 2,400 meters, they spotted a cave marked on the map but were unable to fully explore it due to the difficult conditions.

The article pays particular attention to the 3D photogrammetry of the Geophysical cave, one of the most beautiful and well-preserved in the region. Over 50,000 photographs were taken over four days to create a highly accurate 3D model of the cave.

"This technology allows us to create a digital copy of the cave, which will serve as the basis for studying its structure, the formation of passages, and unique gypsum formations. In addition, it allows people to see the cave in an immersive format," the article explains.

The work of the French speleologists was an important contribution to the study of Koytendag. The results of the expedition were presented on May 1, 2024, at a conference at the French Institute in Ashgabat. The article in "NSS News" emphasizes the uniqueness of Koytendag as a region with enormous potential for further scientific research and cooperation between international teams.

The article is available at:

https://caves.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/December_24_News.pdf

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