The cave itself of course, as a geological entity.
In limestone:
The rock's internal structures such as its bedding-planes, joints, folds, faults and any fossils (since most caves are in limestone).
Precipitated calcium-carbonate 'speleothems' (stalactites, stalagmites and related formations)
Sediment banks - laboratory analysis which can give a lot of information on the cave's own development, palaeoclimate, etc (ditto with speleothems).
In lava caves:
The rock itself, and stalactite-like formations from lava dripping before it solidified.
By the way, why has Answers logged this as being in "Geology, Labour and Birth, Speleology"? I never realised human reproductive Biology is a topic within karst geology!
Chemical weathering, particularly when acidic water dissolves and erodes the rock, can create caves or caverns over time. This process is common in limestone regions where the rock is easily dissolved by carbonic acid found in rainwater.
Limestone is the type of sedimentary rock that makes up many caves in the eastern US. These caves form when groundwater dissolves the limestone, creating underground voids and caverns.
Caves are formed by rain water peculating through sedimentary rock such as limestone, chalk or sandstone. Over millions of years the water will dissolve away the rock, forming potholes, which can enlarge into caves and caverns.
Caverns and sinkholes typically form in areas with soluble rock such as limestone, where water dissolves the rock over time. Caverns are created by the slow dissolution of underground rock, while sinkholes form when the roof of a cavern collapses or the ground above a cavity caves in. Both processes are part of the natural geological phenomenon of karst topography.
Acidic ground water (rain-water that has absorbed atmospheric carbon dioxide to form carbonic acid) forms caves by dissolving the limestone as it flows through the joints & other discontinuities in the rock mass.
Almost all caves were formed by the actions of water. It dissolves the rock and and forms the caverns and spectacular views.
Caves, caverns, and sinkholes are typically formed by the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone, dolomite, or gypsum by water. Over time, water erodes and dissolves the rock, creating underground cavities and passages. Eventually, these cavities can collapse or become exposed at the surface, forming caves, caverns, and sinkholes.
Limestone. The caves are located in a limestone mountain range called the Guadalupe Mountains.
Chemical weathering, particularly when acidic water dissolves and erodes the rock, can create caves or caverns over time. This process is common in limestone regions where the rock is easily dissolved by carbonic acid found in rainwater.
Limestone is the type of sedimentary rock that makes up many caves in the eastern US. These caves form when groundwater dissolves the limestone, creating underground voids and caverns.
Most caves - of any size - are in limestone, and those are all formed primarily by dissoultion of the rock by weakly acidic ground-water penetrating the joints, bedding-planes, faults and other permeabl discontinuities within the rock mass.
Luray Caverns is a cave system in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley, known for its stunning rock formations like stalactites and stalagmites. The caverns feature the "Great Stalacpipe Organ," which uses rubber mallets to tap stalactites and create music. Luray Caverns is one of the most visited caves in the United States and offers guided tours year-round.
Caves are formed by rain water peculating through sedimentary rock such as limestone, chalk or sandstone. Over millions of years the water will dissolve away the rock, forming potholes, which can enlarge into caves and caverns.
Caverns and sinkholes typically form in areas with soluble rock such as limestone, where water dissolves the rock over time. Caverns are created by the slow dissolution of underground rock, while sinkholes form when the roof of a cavern collapses or the ground above a cavity caves in. Both processes are part of the natural geological phenomenon of karst topography.
Acidic ground water (rain-water that has absorbed atmospheric carbon dioxide to form carbonic acid) forms caves by dissolving the limestone as it flows through the joints & other discontinuities in the rock mass.
Underground limestone caves form through the chemical weathering of limestone rock by water that is slightly acidic. Over time, this process dissolves the rock and creates caverns and passageways underground. Factors such as the presence of cracks and fissures in the limestone, as well as the flow of water, contribute to the formation of these caves.
Air. A cavern is a void. :-) Most caves are in limestone and formed by the rock's calcium carbonate (its main constituent) being dissolved away by rainwater acidified by absorbed by atmospheric carbon-dioxide.