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Caves are formed by rainwater dissolving away limestone or sandstone.

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Q: Why do caves only form a certain type of rock?
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Why do caves form in only certain types of rocks?

caves are more commonly formed in some types of rock


What rock is eroded to form caves?

Mainly limestone.


What kind of rocks are in underwater caves Metamorphic Igneous or Sedimentary?

Not sure quite what you are asking about, but anyway it is more accurate to ask what kinds of rock hold the caves, not what rocks are in the caves. Most caves are in limestone, a sedimentary rock, irrespective of water-level. There are a few caves in igneous rock: lava-tubes in basalt-flows, but on land, not underwater. There are also a good many caves in marble, the metamorphic but still-soluble form of limestone; and again the water-level is secondary to the cave itself. A few caves exist in rock-salt, an evaporite.


What environmental process forms the dry caves?

The only caves that can form dry are; Rock-shelters eroded out by wind-blown sand. Talus Caves: voids between landslipped boulders and their parentrock-face. Mass-movement fissures: formed by a type of landslip. Lava Tubes - rather stretching the point because they result from molten lava flowing out from beneath a solidified crust. Caves formed in limestone - as most caves are - arekarst features, i.e. result from dissolution of the rock by weakly-acidic ground-water. Although such caves can subsequently lose their formative streams and so become dry, they were not formed dry and do not develop any further.


Do tectonic plates make caves?

Caves are formed in many ways but mostly by chemical weathering of the surface rock. Tectonic plates on the other hand are huge slabs of rock that form the Earth's crust. Caves are not formed by tectonic plates, think of caves as tiny boreholes in the very surface of a tectonic plate. I agree

Related questions

Why do caves form in only certain types of rocks?

caves are more commonly formed in some types of rock


What rock is eroded to form caves?

Mainly limestone.


What materials make up most caves?

Air! :-) A cave is a natural void in rock, and the rock in which thevast majority of the world's caves form is limestone.


How does a acid cave form?

Limestone is the rock that is in Caves. When carbonate acid is reacted to the limestone in the caves, it will corrode forming strange caves landforms.


What type of deposit form limestone caves?

They don't! Deposits don't form caves, but limestone is a sedimentary rock formed from marine or lacustrine deposits. Caves form within limestone by dissolution of its calcium carbonate by ground-water flowing through the rock's joints, bedding-planes and faults.


Why are there so many caves in limestone rock?

Limestone is a type of rock that is easily eroded by water, which can create caves over time. Water dissolves the limestone rock to form caves through a process known as chemical weathering. Additionally, limestone can also be carved out by underground rivers or other natural forces, resulting in the formation of caves.


What main rock dissolves to form caves?

Limestone and its metamorphic form, marble - calcium carbonate is the rock's principal constituent mineral and it is this that dissolves.


How did the caves in US form?

Almost all caves were formed by the actions of water. It dissolves the rock and and forms the caverns and spectacular views.


What type of rock is made in caves?

Only deposits: sediments and calcite. A cave represents removal of rock, not its making.


What kind of rocks are in underwater caves Metamorphic Igneous or Sedimentary?

Not sure quite what you are asking about, but anyway it is more accurate to ask what kinds of rock hold the caves, not what rocks are in the caves. Most caves are in limestone, a sedimentary rock, irrespective of water-level. There are a few caves in igneous rock: lava-tubes in basalt-flows, but on land, not underwater. There are also a good many caves in marble, the metamorphic but still-soluble form of limestone; and again the water-level is secondary to the cave itself. A few caves exist in rock-salt, an evaporite.


How is limestone formed in caves?

Limestone is formed in caves through a process called cave formation or speleogenesis. This occurs when water containing dissolved minerals, like calcium carbonate, seeps through cracks in the rock and evaporates, leaving behind deposits of limestone. Over time, these deposits can accumulate to form intricate cave structures.


Is ruby rock shiny?

Yes, ruby is a shiny gemstone that is known for its intense red color and high luster. It can sparkle and reflect light beautifully when properly cut and polished.