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When a realtor warned Suzanne and James Brierley of Bend, Oregon, that their new property had a small cave located somewhere, the couple was hardly concerned.
However, since then the homeowners have discovered that this wasn’t just any cave but was a huge lava tube large enough to stand in, reports KTVZ.
The lava tube takes the form of a small hole in the side of a hill, but once one enters, the lava tube is stunningly huge – with some parts of the cave high enough for the Brierleys to not even be able to reach their ceiling.
Lava tubes are natural formations that are created when flowing lava escapes an underground volcanic vent.
Essentially a cave, these tubes once carried magma from eruptions out to sea before cooling and typically collapsing. However, many old lava tubes remain and are popular with some hikers.
In places like Hawaii’s Big Island, lava tubes are everywhere and are home to species adapted to these unique locations. Native Hawaiians also interred their dead in the caves and used them for spiritual purposes.
However, according to local experts, the sprawling cave underneath the Brierleys’ property – or the huge complex of caves in the area – hasn’t yet been fully explored.
Either way, the couple is now looking to sell the property. Considering that it includes such an alluring find underneath, it’s likely that they’ll have no shortage of prospective buyers.
