Cave formation

Cave formation is the development of underground cavities through geological processes that dissolve, fracture, or remove rock.

Karst: A landscape shaped by the dissolution of soluble rock and characterized by features such as sinkholes and caves. Karst landscapes form where groundwater dissolves limestone and other soluble rocks into cave systems.
Limestone: A sedimentary rock composed chiefly of calcium carbonate, often formed from accumulated shells and other marine material. Its calcium carbonate dissolves readily in weakly acidic water, making limestone a common cave host.
Speleogenesis: The origin and development of caves through geological processes. Speleogenesis names the study of the processes and histories that produce caves.
Mammoth Cave: A cave system in Kentucky's limestone whose mapped passages extend for hundreds of miles. Its extensive passages illustrate long-term groundwater dissolution in layered limestone.
Carbonic acid weathering: The chemical breakdown of minerals by carbonic acid formed when carbon dioxide dissolves in water. Carbonic acid in groundwater dissolves limestone, enlarging cracks into passages.
Groundwater: Water held beneath Earth's surface in the pores and fractures of soil and rock. Groundwater transports dissolved carbon dioxide and carries away minerals released from cave walls.
Karst aquifer: An aquifer in soluble rock where groundwater flows through fractures, conduits, and enlarged cavities. Cave passages can become rapid groundwater conduits within karst aquifers.
Carlsbad Caverns: A cave system in New Mexico famous for its large chambers and extensive mineral formations. Sulfuric-acid dissolution helped create its large chambers in limestone.
Hydrothermal cave: A cave formed or enlarged by hot, mineral-rich water rising through rock. Hot acidic fluids can excavate cavities by dissolving rock from below.
Fracture (geology): A break in rock along which the two sides have separated or may move. Fractures provide initial routes for water and focus the enlargement of cave passages.

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