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Many caves are part of a larger landscape called karst. The term "karst" originates from northwestern Yugoslavia where karst is well developed and was first described scientifically. Karst develops on or in water-soluble rock such as limestone, dolomite or gypsum. The most common cave forming rock is limestone. Karst landscapes are characterized by the presence of sinkholes, disappearing streams, caves, underground streams and springs.
Water sculpts the karst landscape. Rainwater picks up carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and forms a weak acid called carbonic acid. When rainwater hits the ground it picks up more carbon dioxide from decaying plants. The carbonic acid slowly dissolves the limestone (or other rock type) as it moves down through the bedrock. As a result, caves and cave passageways are formed. These types of caves are called solutional caves.
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Here are some other types of caves:
Lava Tubes: formed during the cooling of lava flows. Lava caves can be hundreds or thousands of feet long. You can visit them in California, Idaho, Oregon, Arizona, New Mexico and Hawaii.
Sea Caves: form from wave action. The waves force water into the cracks in rock, breaking off the rock. Sea Lion Cave, in Oregon, is open to the public.
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Wind Caves: are typically small caves that seldom penetrate into total darkness, forming from wind erosion of cliffs or hills. Mesa Verde, Colorado is an example of a wind cave.
Talus Caves: formed from huge rocks that have fallen from cliffs, leaving spacious chambers within the boulder piles. One talus cave has more than 12,000 feet of mapped passageway.
Glacier Caves: are formed by melting waters moving through glaciers. These caves are located in Canada, Alaska and on Mt. Rainier in Washington.
Tectonic Caves: The actions of earthquakes form these caves. Natural cracks have been reported to reach depths of 500 feet below the surface.
Soil Caves or Soil Tubes: are found in desert areas where flash floods can move through the soils and transport earth with them. There are some in the Mojave Desert in California.
No two caves are alike. Some cave openings will only allow a person to squeeze through, while other caves contain large spacious rooms. The longest cave in the world spans over 350 miles beneath the surface of the earth!
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