The vast majority of caves are in limestone but there are also lava tubes (left when molten rock flows from beneath a solidifed crust), mass-movement fissures (a type of land-slip feature), and so on.
For Limestone:
That is such a common question on ‘Answers’ I wrote this single reply I can simply paste!
Most of the world’s caves are in Limestone.
Caves need three materials: a soluble rock like Limestone or Gypsum, water and carbon-dioxide (CO2).
Their host limestone also needs to be of appropriate physical structure and raised into hills, then subjected to reasonably consistent precipitation for many tens or hundreds of thousands of years.
Limestone is a sedimentary rock of which the world’s greater proportion was laid down in warm, relatively shallow, seas. The rock was laid in horizontal layers – Beds – separated by Bedding-planes which generally reflect geologically-brief changes in the environment. The suite of beds is known as a Formation, generally named after its “type area”.
Later continental uplift (tectonic processes) raise the formation along with its underlying rocks, usually tilting and folding it to at least some extent in the process. Since most rocks are brittle they cannot take much stress, and limestone beds crack into grids of fine fractures called Joints. The uplift and folding often also causes Faulting – major breaks with the rock mass one side of the Fault Plane being raised, lowered or moved horizontally past that on the opposite side. (Note: Plane – the “Fault Line” sometimes misused as a political metaphor is that of the fault-plane cutting the land surface.)
Now we have the hills, next we need rain-water that has absorbed atmospheric CO2 to create Carbonic Acid (weak but natural soda water in fact!). This permeates through all those joints, bedding-planes and faults; flowing very, very slowly under considerable pressure applied by its depth, from its sinks on the surface to its springs at the base of the formation. In doing so, it dissolves the limestone (chemical weathering), creating meshes of tiny micro-conduits that over many tens of thousands of years coalesce and capture each other to form cave passages.
Once this happens, the rate of erosion can increase – though still to perhaps only a few millimetres per thousand years under generally temperate climates.
A cave, or series within a cave system, that still carries its formative stream is called “Active”, and is still being developed.
Surface changes such as the valley floor being lowered by erosion, or down-cutting within the cave by its stream, changes the water’s route and the original, now dried-out, stream-way is called “Fossil” or “Abandoned”. Such passages may be filled with silt left by floods as the main flow gradually abandons them; or may become richly decorated with Speleothems – calcite deposits such as stalactites and stalagmites precipitated from ground-water still oozing through the joints in the limestone above the cave. In time such passages may start to break down as there is no stream to dissolve away slabs falling from the roof as permeating ground-water attacks the rock above.
In the end, surface lowering of the landscape as a whole, breaches and destroys the cave. Nothing is permanent in Nature!
Caves in limestone are also parts of Karst Landscape. i.e. a landscape developed by the dissolution of limestone, giving surface features like Dolines, Limestone Pavement, and in the tropics, distinctive hills such as those represented in Chinese Willow-pattern images. ‘Karst’ is from the Slavic word ‘Kras’, the name for its world type-area.
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The above is purely an introduction to a vastly more complex and subtle series of processes, of course, and I would refer you to appropriate text-books on geology and cave studies to learn these.
The scientific study of caves is Speleology – embracing geology, hydrology, Biology, Archaeology and other disciplines.
Simply visiting caves to enjoy them for their scenery and the physical and mental challenges they present, is called Caving, though you can’t study a cave unless you can negotiate its obstacles. We caving enthusiasts are simply Cavers, throughout the English-speaking world – not “spelunkers”, which appears to be merely rude, USA-only, slang for novices and dilettantes!
Caves form through various geological processes such as erosion, dissolution of rock by water, or volcanic activity. Over time, these processes create underground openings and cavities that can develop into intricate cave systems.
Connected caves are called cave systems. These systems occur when several cave passages interconnect and form a complex network of underground tunnels and chambers.
The main types of caves are solution caves, lava caves, sea caves, glacier caves, and talus caves. Solution caves form from the dissolution of soluble rocks like limestone; lava caves are created by flowing lava; sea caves are carved by the action of waves on coastal cliffs; glacier caves form within glaciers due to melting and refreezing processes; and talus caves are formed by fallen rocks creating cave-like structures.
Straws in caves are formed when water travels through limestone or other soluble rocks, dissolving them and creating hollow tubes. Over time, mineral deposits can form around the edges of the tube, creating a straw-like structure. This process can take thousands of years to occur.
Yes, there are various types of caves, including limestone caves, lava tubes, sea caves, ice caves, and solution caves. Each type of cave is formed through different geological processes and conditions, resulting in unique characteristics and features.
Crystal Caves was created in 1991.
No because caves do not occur everywhere, so many of these people must have had to build some sort of shelter in other ways.
Connected caves are called cave systems. These systems occur when several cave passages interconnect and form a complex network of underground tunnels and chambers.
Garnet is a type of mineral that is found in nature. It is often mined from underground caves, like other minerals and metals.
The Ajanta Caves contain 29 caves in total.
There are 12 Buddhist (caves 1-12), 17 Hindu (caves 13-29) and 5 Jain (caves 30-34) caves. Total 34 caves.
caves caves caves caves why do u want to know?
granite caves sea caves sandstone caves . stay in school
The main types of caves are solution caves, lava caves, sea caves, glacier caves, and talus caves. Solution caves form from the dissolution of soluble rocks like limestone; lava caves are created by flowing lava; sea caves are carved by the action of waves on coastal cliffs; glacier caves form within glaciers due to melting and refreezing processes; and talus caves are formed by fallen rocks creating cave-like structures.
The most common types of cave are limestone caves.
Yes to an important point. Most caves by far, are in limestone uplandsof suitable geological, geomorphological, hydrological and climate characteristics for cave and karst-landofrm development, but although such limestones arepresent in very many countries world-wide they are not universal. Other, much less common cave types occur in various rocks, such as lava-tubes. talus and mass-movement caves, and sea-caves.
They are both caves
caves