Alaskan ice cave that could collapse any minute: Brave photographer's stunning pictures
This photographer is walking on thin ice after taking stunning photographs inside an Alaskan ice cave that could collapse at any moment.
With its dazzling turquoise walls and huge open spaces, it's hard to imagine that this incredible frozen cavern was only formed at the beginning of 2012.
But despite its seemingly mystical allure, the fascinating natural phenomena is at risk of collapsing in on itself without warning.
Photographed by ice caver, Ron Gile, 55, the adventurer has known many caves collapse and disappear in his eight years exploring the local area.
After trekking across a two-mile long frozen lake, Ron and a few friends descended into the underground chamber and used a red road flare to highlight the ethereal blue of their surroundings.
Amazingly, the cavern is over 400 feet deep and at the back of the cave resides a moulon, a hole that leads straight up to the surface and is created by melting water pouring down to floor of the glacier.
The intense colours are created by pure ice that is free of air, as the ice absorbs all colours of the light spectrum except for blue, the cave is lit up in a spectacular fashion.
Ron told Caters News: "I always find it fascinating being inside any of these caves, but I do get a little apprehensive going in, they can and do collapse.
"However, the beauty inside is just too powerful a temptation to not go inside.
"The caves do melt back and disappear but this large cave has been holding on since the start of 2012.
"I have found and explored about 15 caves now, some are small and some are very large, but this one was amazing because of its length.
"I was with some friends from Hawaii at the time the photographs were taken, one of them have never even seen snow before let alone walk under a glacier, it was quite the experience for him.
"At the end of the cave is a moulon, this is a hole created in the glacier that goes straight up and out and is created when melt water from the surface of the glacier starts to open a channel that pours down to underneath the glacier.
"The red in the images is created by a road flare, I thought the red to blue colour contrast would be fun to photograph and make for some great pictures."
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